Russia-Ukraine: Zelenskyy says it's a 'pity' US support came 'after' Russian war began: LIVE UPDATES
Russia's military is claiming to have seized Kherson as the Black Sea port city of Odesa -- Ukraine's third largest -- could come under attack by President Vladimir Putin's army as early as Thursday, U.S. officials tell Fox News.
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Elon Musk says Starlink's satellite internet is the only non-Russian communications system still working in parts of Ukraine and the "probability of being targeted" by Russia is high as Viasat satellites were on the first day of the invasion.
He said to use it with caution, meaning, "Turn on Starlink only when needed and place antenna away as far away from people as possible ... Place light camouflage over antenna to avoid visual detection."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has reportedly been targeted for assassination three times since Russian troops invaded his country last week.
According to a report from Times of London, Zelenskyy sidestepped the attempts on his life after Russian individuals who oppose the war fed intelligence about the planned attacks to Ukrainian government officials.
"I can say that we have received information from [Russia’s Federal Security Service], who do not want to take part in this bloody war," Ukraine Secretary of National Security and Defense said on Ukrainian television, according to the Times.
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“Europe needs to wake up. The biggest nuclear power plant in Europe is on fire right now. Russian tanks are shooting at the nuclear blocks. These are tanks equipped with thermal imagers, so they know what they are shooting at.
They have prepared for it. I am addressing all Ukrainians, all Europeans and everyone who knows the word Chernobyl, who knows many casualties were inflicted by the explosion on the nuclear plant. This was a global catastrophe and its consequences were battled by hundreds of thousands of people. Tens of thousands had to be evacuated and Russia wants to repeat that and is already repeating it, but 6 times bigger.
Europeans, wake up please. Tell your politicians, Russian forces are shooting at the nuclear plant in Ukraine. Zaporizka nuclear plant city of Energodar. There are six energy blocks there. Six. In Chernobyl one energy block had exploded.
We have gotten in touch with our leaders, partners, I have already spoken to Charles Michel, Olaf Scholz, Andrzej Duda, President Biden. We have contacted head of IAEA, Grossi and also Prime Minister Johnson. We are issuing a warning, no country has ever shot at nuclear blocks except for Russia.
First time ever. For the first time ever in our history, in the history of human kind, the terrorist country has reverted to nuclear terror. Russian propaganda had warned in the past to cover the world in nuclear ash. Now this isn’t just a warning, this is real.
We don’t know for sure what the results of this fire will be, we don’t know when the explosion will happen or, God willing, not going to happen. Nobody can know or calculate for certain, but our boys have always kept the nuclear plant safe.
We made sure no provocations could happen. We made sure no one could go there or access it. We made sure no one could plant bombs there. Plant bombs and keep the world hostage to nuclear catastrophe.
We must stop Russian soldiers now. Immediately call your politicians. Ukraine is 15 nuclear blocks, if there is an explosion it is the end for everyone. End to Europe. Its the evacuation of entire Europe. Only immediate action can stop the Russian troops. Do not let Europe die in the nuclear catastrophe.”
Preside Biden spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after reports of an attack near the Zaporizhzia nuclear power plant in Ukraine on Thursday.
"President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. spoke with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine this evening to receive an update on the fire at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant," the White House said in a statement. "President Biden joined President Zelenskyy in urging Russia to cease its military activities in the area and allow firefighters and emergency responders to access the site.
"President Biden also spoke this evening with Under Secretary for Nuclear Security of the U.S. Department of Energy and Administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) to receive an update on the situation at the plant. The President will continue to be briefed regularly."
Crews were working to put out fires at the plant and regulators say there have been no changes in radiation levels.
Russian artillery fire is blasting Ukraine's largest nuclear plant, sparking a fire, hours after international atomic regulators warned combat at the facility could wreak havoc, according to Ukraine authorities.
Video posted to Telegram, an encrypted messaging app, early Friday local time appeared to show a projectile landing outside the facility, creating a large fireball.
Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine's Minister of Foreign Affairs, tweeted that Russian forces were "firing from all sides" on the facility.
"Fire has already broken out," he wrote – a claim that appears to be supported by grainy livestream video. "If it blows up, it will be 10 times larger than Chernobyl."
Ukrainian defense forces killed Russian Maj. Gen. Andrei Sukhovetsky in combat earlier this week, according to Ukrainian officials and Russian media.
The circumstances of the 47-year-old’s death were not immediately clear, but the Kremlin-backed Pravda said he was killed "during a special operation in Ukraine."
According to Russia’s state-owned TASS news agency, Russian President Vladimir Putin appointed Sukhovetsky deputy commander of the 41st Combined Arms Army of the Central Military District last year. He was also the head of the 7th Airborne Division, had served in Syria and received two commendations for bravery from the Kremlin.
Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Station, Ukraine's largest and one of the largest in all of Europe, has been under attack from Russian forces.
A plant manager reports that Russian forces have repeatedly shelled the plant over Thursday evening, according to reporting from Fox News' Bret Baier.
The plant is larger than its more famous counterpart in Chernobyl, containing six nuclear blocks compared to Chernobyl's one. It was reported that some of the shelling hit one of the plant's energy block's, with firefights having a difficult time fighting the blaze because of the ongoing attack.
Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi called the situation at the plant "critical" and implored military units to avoid combat in the area.
“The IAEA continues to consult with Ukraine and others with a view to provide maximum possible assistance to the country as it seeks to maintain nuclear safety and security in the current difficult circumstances,” Grossi said in a statement.
The Biden administration on Thursday appeared to split from its party after it said blocking Russian oil imports was not in its "strategic interest" as Moscow pummels Ukrainian cities.
Earlier this week, GOP senators introduced legislation that would bar the U.S. from importing any more Russian oil in response to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s continued assault on Ukraine.
On Thursday, West Virginia Democrat Sen. Joe Manchin said he and Alaska Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski had garnered support on both sides of the aisle for a separate bill that would seek similar Russian oil bans.
"I'm all for that. Ban it," Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi told reporters Thursday. Though she added that she would not support a move to reopen drilling on federal lands.
One of several Russian oligarchs being targeted for sanctions by the United States over Russia's invasion of Ukraine is a businessman with close ties to the Kremlin and is on the FBI's Most Wanted list for alleged interference in American elections.
On Thursday, authorities announced full sanctions for eight Russian oligarchs and their family members.
"These individuals have enriched themselves at the expense of the Russian people, and some have elevated their family members into high-ranking positions," the White House said in a statement. "Others sit atop Russia’s largest companies and are responsible for providing the resources necessary to support (Russian President Vladimir) Putin’s invasion of Ukraine."
RT America, the Russian state-funded media outlet, is permanently shutting down as tensions rise between the U.S. and Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.
An employee for RT America told Fox News that she and approximately 120 other staffers, who were described as Americans, were informed in a meeting on Thursday that operations were shutting down at the network's Washington D.C. headquarters as well as the New York, Los Angeles and Miami bureaus. The staffer said employees were given severance packages.
The Department of Homeland Security announced that Ukrainian citizens will be able to stay in the U.S. for up to 18 months with temporary protected status.
“Russia’s premeditated and unprovoked attack on Ukraine has resulted in an ongoing war, senseless violence, and Ukrainians forced to seek refuge in other countries,” Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas said in a statement Thursday. “In these extraordinary times, we will continue to offer our support and protection to Ukrainian nationals in the United States.”
The decision was made due to the ongoing war in Ukraine, with the United Nation estimating that close to one million people have already fled the country after Russia's invasion last week.
"This invasion has caused a humanitarian crisis with significant numbers of individuals fleeing and damage to civilian infrastructure that has left many without electricity or water or access to food, basic supplies, shelter, and emergency medical services," the Department of Homeland Security said Thursday.
UNICEF is aiming to raise money to help children and families who have become refugees during the Russia-Ukraine war.
About half a million children have fled Ukraine following Russia’s attacks, according to estimates collected by the United Nations.
The intergovernmental peace organization reports that it has verified the deaths of 17 children who were killed from the munition attacks while 30 have been injured. In a press release issued on Thursday, March 3, UNICEF said it’s likely that the child death and injury toll is higher than what’s on record so far.
Russian forces were closing in one of the largest nuclear power plants in Europe Thursday, according to Ukraine’s deputy interior minister, who is warning that violence there could result in a massive radioactive disaster.
"Because of [Vladimir] Putin’s madness, Europe is again on the brink of a nuclear disaster," Anton Herashchenko wrote in a translated Facebook post.
He shared images showing makeshift defenses in Enerhodar, the city where the Zaporizhzhya power plant is located. The Ukrainian government began warning Wednesday that Russian activity in the area could result a new "nuclear catastrophe."
The White House is contemplating whether to send Vice President Kamala Harris to Europe in an attempt to show solidarity with Ukraine as Russian President Vladimir Putin continues his invasion into the country, according to a report from The Hill.
The trip, which could take place within the coming weeks, would consist of Harris visiting Warsaw, Poland, and Bucharest, Romania, with Harris making a stop to visit with American troops stationed there, sources familiar with White House conversations told the outlet.
One source in the report also noted that a visit from President Biden to the region is, for now, off the table due to logistics.
“A presidential visit is a heavier logistical lift,” the source told the outlet. “The vice president has a smaller footprint and is historically more nimble.”
A White House official told Fox News that there is nothing yet to announce and that Harris “has been deeply involved in the Administration's engagement with allies and partners.”
“Earlier this week, she spoke to the Prime Minister of Poland and a number of other leaders from Eastern Flank Allies to discuss our collective response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine and to underscore the strength and unity of our Alliance," the official said. “You can expect the Vice President will continue to engage with allies and partners on these issues.”
Ukrainian soldiers are seen near the recently collapsed bridge which was the target of a Russian missile, near the town of Irpin, Ukraine on March 3, 2022.
Russian citizens have reportedly started to flee the country ahead of President Vladimir Putin’s rumored announcement of martial law.
Earlier this week, Russia’s official censorship body issued guidance telling news networks to use only "trusted" sources under penalty of closure, which led to the shutdown of two independent news networks, including Dozhd TV – known in English as Rain TV.
Tikhon Dzyadko, the overnight chief editor of Dozhd, wrote on Telegram on Mar. 2 that he was fleeing the country over fear for his life, saying that it is "obvious that the personal safety of some of us is now under threat."
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is making clear his government's displeasure with the shutdown of state affiliated news outlets across the world amid Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
During a Thursday panel interview with ABC's George Stephanopoulos, Lavrov was pressed on the misinformation being spread by Russia regarding the reasons behind the invasion and claimed the world wasn't being told the entire story about the military operation because of the now-lack of a Russian media presence.
"I cannot comment [on] conjectures, and there’s a great deal of these now," Lavrov said after Stephanopoulos asked how he could defend the "lies" surrounding the reason for Russia's invasion.
The Biden administration will sanction more Russian oligarchs and their families in response to Russia's war in Ukraine.
The White House announced Thursday that the following Russians will face U.S. sanctions:
– Nikolai Tokarev, including his wife Galina, daughter Mayya, and his two luxury real estate companies
– Boris Rotenberg, including his wife Karina, and his sons Roman and Boris
– Arkady Rotenberg, including his sons Pavel and Igor and daughter Liliya
Nataliya Vasilyeva, a reporter working for The Telegraph, said on Twitter Thursday that she received a phone call from a Ukrainian number to her Russian phone that played a recording of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
"Hi, I'm Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. My country has never attacked yours. I'm asking you to take your sons back," the voice reportedly said.
Bill Hemmer breaks down the Russian occupation of South Ukraine and where Vladimir Putin may move next.
Displaced people gather around a bonfire outside Lviv railway station in western Ukraine on Thursday. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
The Russia-Ukraine war moved into its eighth day on Thursday, as President Vladimir Putin's forces captured a strategic Ukrainian port and surrounded another in a bid to cut off the country from the sea.
A second round of talks between Ukrainian and Russian delegations aimed at stopping the fighting that has set off an exodus of over 1 million refugees began Thursday in neighboring Belarus, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's office.
Ukrainians still in the country faced another grim day. In Kyiv, snow gave way to a cold, gray drizzle, as long lines formed outside the few pharmacies and bakeries that remain open.
New shelling was reported in the northern city of Chernihiv, where emergency officials said at least 22 civilians had been killed in a Russian bombardment of a residential area. They warned that the number of casualties could grow as rescuers search the debris. The mayor said he was struggling to organize safe passage for civilians.
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Ukraine presidential adviser Mykhailo Podoliak says a meeting Thursday between Ukrainian and Russian officials has ended without a ceasefire deal being reached.
“The second round of negotiations is over. Unfortunately, the results Ukraine needs are not yet available. There is only a solution for the organization of humanitarian corridors...” he tweeted.
Lukoil, one of the largest oil companies in Russia, is calling Thursday for Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the armed conflict in Ukraine.
“Lukoil’s board of directors expresses its concern over the ongoing tragic events in Ukraine and its deepest sympathy to all those affected by this tragedy,” the company said in a statement, according to the Financial Times.
“We urge a speedy cessation of the armed conflict and fully support its resolution through the negotiation process, through diplomatic means," it added.
The European Union Commission announced Thursday that it will give temporary residence permits to refugees fleeing the violence in Ukraine and allow them to study and work in the 27-nation bloc.
"Today’s decision by the European Union to offer temporary protection to refugees fleeing Ukraine is unprecedented. It will provide protection to millions on the move," tweeted Filippo Grandi, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees. "We encourage its swift and broad application."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Sviatoslav Fursin, Yaryna Arieva and their families at their wedding ceremony. (Credit: Yayna Arieva)
A young Ukrainian couple has become a symbol of love and strength for the country after they decided to get married three months before their planned wedding in May when Russia began invading their homeland.
Yaryna Arieva, a 21-year-old woman wise beyond her years, told Fox News Digital that she and her 24-year-old husband, Sviatoslav Fursin, discussed getting "married in the first days of the war" if Putin invaded, but they didn't "really believe" it would happen.
When the attacks began, her mother called around to the priests she knew in the area and got one to marry the couple without an official marriage certificate, which is very unusual in Ukraine, but the priest agreed due to unforeseen circumstances.
"The hardest two days of my life [were in] the beginning of the war," Arieva told Fox News Digital, but since then, she and other Ukrainians have grown more accustomed to the sounds of explosions and news of attacks on TV.
Arieva and Fursin joined Ukraine's Territorial Defense Forces immediately after their wedding. The couple is based in Kyiv, Ukraine's capital and Russian President Vladimir Putin's main target, as it houses Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
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Soviet Premier Josef Stalin in 1949. (Keystone/Getty Images)
To understand the Russia-Ukraine war, one must understand the history of communism – and more specifically, Russian communism.
That’s according to Andrew Bremberg, president of the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation (VOC) and former U.S. permanent representative to the United Nations.
"Young Americans know very little, and frequently nothing, about Josef Stalin – the brutal leader of the USSR that took over after Lenin and took his crimes under communism and really ratcheted them up," Bremberg said. "I think people know nothing of the Holodomor, which was Stalin's planned famine in Ukraine that killed over 10 million people during the time."
At the time of the Holodomor, known as the Great Famine, when Westerners were suffering from the Great Depression in the early 1930s, socialism and communism were "very much in vogue," Bremberg explained.
"It is a terrible chapter in human history of the 20th century, and the vast majority of young Americans truly know nothing about [it]. Just knowing that one fact, I believe, can really materially change how a person understands communism," he said. "And, frankly, I think it has an effect on how people understand the attacks and crisis today" in Ukraine.
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is calling Thursday for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“Sit down with me to negotiate, just not at 30 meters," Zelenskyy told reporters, in an apparent reference to a long table that has appeared in recent images of Putin meeting with other world leaders.
“I don’t bite. What are you afraid of?” Zelenskyy added, according to the Associated Press. “Any words are more important than shots.”
Click here to watch on Fox News.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, when asked by Fox News' Trey Yingst Thursday about his conversations with President Biden and overall support from the U.S., said, "It’s a pity it began after the beginning of this war, but we have it."
Yingst asked: “You spoke this week with President Biden. How would you describe your conversations with the U.S. leader? Do you believe the Americans waited too long to give Ukraine the support you need to push back this Russian offensive?”
“We have good contact. I can tell you the truth," the Ukrainian leader responded. "It’s a pity it began after the beginning of this war, but we have it. My appreciation to him and to his team. We can speak now often.”
Residents of Ukraine’s capital have been bracing for a massive Russian convoy of tanks and armored vehicles to unleash on the city. That convoy, however, has been stalled for three days just miles outside of Kyiv.
"They haven't … from our best estimates have not made any appreciable progress geographically speaking in the last 24 to 36 hours, and again nothing very significant. It is difficult for us to know with great specificity all that is going into this stall if you will," Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said Wednesday.
The convoy, which is about 40 miles long, is stalled about 20 miles outside of Kyiv. The menacing convoy could encircle the capital and prevent anyone from leaving, laying siege on the key city.
Kirby said that the convoy’s holdup could come down to three reasons: Russians are "deliberately" reassessing their progress and strategizing how to make up for lost time; unanticipated logistical challenges are besetting the Russians’ plan.
"And three, they are getting resistance from the Ukrainians. We have some indications - nothing that we can 100 percent independently verify - but we have some indications that the Ukrainians have in fact tried to slow down that convoy. And we have no reason to doubt those reports, but again we can't speak to it in great specificity," Kirby said.
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Rep. Victoria Spartz, R-Ind., joined 'America's Newsroom' to discuss the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine and the role of the U.S. moving forward.
A European official tells Fox News on Thursday that Russia’s Federal Security Service, their intelligence branch, has drafted plans to conduct public executions in Ukrainian cities once they have been captured.
Fox News' James Levinson and Gillian Turner contributed to this report.
The Biden administration is requesting at least $10 billion in new money to provide aid to Ukraine amid Russian President Vladimir Putin's war against the nation, according to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
"As part of the agreement lawmakers are working to finalize ahead of the March 11th deadline, we’re also urging Congress to include supplemental funding for two urgent and immediate needs: supporting Ukraine, and continuing our ongoing COVID response efforts," OMB Acting Director Shalanda Young said Thursday.
"The United States has provided over $1.4 billion in assistance to Ukraine since 2021, and, together with our European allies and partners, we are holding Russia accountable for its unjustified and unprovoked invasion," Young added. "To continue this important work and further support the Ukrainian people, we are requesting $10 billion to deliver additional humanitarian, security, and economic assistance in Ukraine and the neighboring region in the coming days and weeks."
Click here to read more on Fox News.
A French official told the Associated Press Thursday that French President Emmanuel Macron has spoken for 90 minutes by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who told Macron that military operations in Ukraine are “going according to plan.”
The official at the French Elysee presidential palace said Putin told Macron the conflict would continue “until the end” unless negotiations meet his terms.
Putin said negotiations must center on the “neutralization and disarmament of Ukraine,” according to the French official. Putin reportedly said he would attain that goal by military means, if not by political and diplomatic means.
The official also said the two leaders spoke at Putin’s request.
An aide to Macron separately told the AFP that the French leader believes "the worst is to come" in Ukraine following his call with Putin.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Ukraine presidential adviser Mykhailo Podoliak says his country is now meeting with Russian officials over the war in Ukraine.
In a tweet, Podoliak said the key issues on the agenda are an "immediate ceasefire", an "armistice" and "Humanitarian corridors for the evacuation of civilians from destroyed or constantly shelled villages/cities."
In this image taken from video provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks to the nation in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Thursday. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP)
EXCLUSIVE: Sen. Joni Ernst, of Iowa, is leading the charge of five Republicans calling on the Biden administration to enact sanctions against and investigate the Wagner Group amid reports that hundreds of Russian mercenaries are in Kyiv on a mission to assassinate Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
In a letter to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Ernst and her colleagues asked for "immediate action" be taken to investigate reports suggesting that "Russian President Vladimir Putin has hired hundreds of mercenaries from Russia’s Wagner Group to assassinate Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy."
They also asked for economic sanctions imposed through the Department of Treasury’s Office for Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) "pursuant to Executive Order 14024 on the Wagner Group, including Yevgeny Prigozhin, Dmitry Utkin, and Konstantin Pikalov, as well as any other known affiliates."
The Wagner Group, technically a private Russian military company , has been considered a proxy group of the Russian state abroad since its inception in 2014 and participated in the annexation of Crimea.
In December, the European Union, with support from the State Department, enacted sanctions against the Wagner Group and its associates for serious human rights abuses, including torture and extrajudicial killings in countries including Libya, Syria, the Central African Republic and Ukraine’s Donbas region.
Click here to read more on Fox News.
Chief editor of the media outlet Dozhd TV, Tikhon Dzyadko, speaks during an interview in Moscow, Russia, in September 2021. (REUTERS/Evgenia Novozhenina)
Russian journalists are trying to escape Russia as they grow concerned for their personal safety.
Tikhon Dzyadko, the chief editor of Dozhd TV -- a media outlet that has been critical of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and was shut down Wednesday -- managed to depart Russia overnight.
"After the illegal blockage of Dozhd's site, Dozhd's accounts in several social networks, as well as threats addressed to some of our employees, it became obvious that the personal safety of some of us is now under threat," he posted on his Telegram account Wednesday.
Click here to read more on Fox News.
Fox News' Cecilia Duffy and Gillian Turner contributed to this report.
Norwegian M72 anti-tank missiles are being loaded on a transport plane for delivery to Ukraine, in Oslo, Norway, on Thursday. (Torstein Boe/NTB via AP)
A Hercules C130 transport aircraft carrying around 2,000 anti-tank missiles for Ukraine has departed Norway Thursday, the Associated Press is reporting.
Also Thursday, Germany’s economy ministry approved sending 2,700 anti-aircraft missiles to Ukraine, according to the dpa news agency.
The agency quoted unnamed Economy Ministry officials saying the weapons are Soviet-made, shoulder-fired Strela surface-to-air missiles left over from East German army supplies.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The Amore Vero yacht is seen Thursday in a shipyard at La Ciotat, near Marseille, in southern France. (NICOLAS TUCAT/AFP via Getty Images)
French authorities said Thursday they have seized a yacht linked to Igor Sechin -- an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin -- as part of European Union sanctions over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The French Finance Ministry said in a statement Thursday that customs authorities carried out an inspection of the yacht Amore Vero in the Mediterranean resort of La Ciotat.
The boat arrived in La Ciotat on Jan. 3 for repairs and was slated to stay until April 1. When French customs officers arrived to inspect the yacht, its crew was preparing an urgent departure, even though the repair work wasn’t finished, the statement said. The boat was seized to prevent its departure.
It says the boat is owned by a company that lists Sechin as its primary shareholder. Sechin runs Russian oil giant Rosneft.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Smoke rises from a Russian tank destroyed by the Ukrainian forces on the side of a road in the Luhansk region on Feb. 26 (ANATOLII STEPANOV/AFP via Getty Images)
Ukraine's National Agency for the Protection against Corruption reportedly declared Thursday that anyone who has captured Russian tanks or military equipment during the ongoing war is exempt from having to declare it for tax purposes.
"Have you captured a Russian tank or armored personnel carrier and are worried about how to declare it? Keep calm and continue to defend the Motherland! There is no need to declare the captured Russian tanks and other equipment," read a statement from the agency, according to Interfax.
"Speaking by the letter of the law, combat trophies are not subject to reflection in the declaration for the following reasons: they were acquired not as a result of the conclusion of any type of transaction, but in connection with the full-scale aggression of the Russian Federation," the statement added, noting that the "enemy military equipment usually comes to you already destroyed and disabled, which makes it impossible... to find out how much such property costs."
Fox News correspondent Benjamin Hall reports from Kyiv on what's next after Russian forces capture Kherson.
Russia Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Thursday that Moscow is ready for peace talks but will press its effort to destroy Ukraine’s military infrastructure, which the Kremlin claims is threatening Russia.
Lavrov says a Russian delegation submitted its demands to Ukrainian negotiators earlier this week and is now waiting for Kyiv’s response in a meeting set for Thursday.
Lavrov vowed Russia will insist on provisions that Ukraine will never again represent a military threat to Russia. He said it will be up to Ukrainians to choose what government they should have.
Lavrov voiced regret for civilian casualties during the Russian invasion in Ukraine, which started last week, and insisted that the Russian military is using only precision weapons against military targets.
He tacitly acknowledged that some Russian strikes could have killed civilians, saying that “any military action is fraught with casualties, and not just among the military but also civilians.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Police detain demonstrators during a protest against Russia's attack on Ukraine in St. Petersburg, Russia, on Monday. (AP/Dmitri Lovetsky)
A European Union official told Reuters Thursday that it is seeing signs on social media that Russia could impose martial law within its borders as the invasion of Ukraine continues.
"On March 4, both chambers of the Russian parliament will convene for an emergency extraordinary session. As I understand it, the preventive imposition of martial law in Russia is on the agenda," Ukraine presidential adviser Mykhailo Podoliak posted on Twitter, according to the Interfax news agency.
"With a total ban on all rallies, disconnection from the outside world, large-scale food and financial restrictions," Podoliak reportedly added. "The evacuation of those who can afford it is now beginning across the country."
Displaced people line up for food rations outside Lviv railway station in western Ukraine on Thursday. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has forced more than a million people to flee their homeland in just a week. (AP/Bernat Armangue)
The Biden administration plans to seek at least $10 billion dollars from Congress to assist with Ukraine’s growing humanitarian needs and defense assistance, Fox News confirmed Thursday.
In a letter sent to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday, the Office of Management and Budget said the funding is an "immediate need".
"We appreciate the Congress’ continued support for Ukraine funding, which has allowed the U.S. to provide over $1.4 billion in assistance to Ukraine since 2021," the letter read. "This request identifies an immediate need for $10.0 billion in additional humanitarian, security, and economic assistance for Ukraine and Central European partners due to Russia’s unjustified and unprovoked invasion."
Fox News' Mark Meredith contributed to this report.
Smoke rises from damaged buildings after Russian attacks in Chernihiv, Ukraine on Thursday. (State Emergency Service of Ukraine/Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Russian forces laid siege on two Ukrainian seaports and continued bombarding the nation’s two largest cities, Kharkiv and Kyiv, as Russia and Ukraine battle for the eighth day.
Russia claimed control of Black Sea shipbuilding city Kherson on Wednesday and Russian troops were seen in the center of the city Thursday.
"We don’t have any Ukrainian forces in the city, only civilians and people here who want to LIVE," Kherson Mayor Igor Kolykhaev said in a statement later posted on Facebook.
As many as 300 people may have been killed as the Russians entered the city.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, however, has said that the fighting in the city is ongoing, and a U.S. defense official also contested Russia’s claim.
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Current Russian military activity in southern Ukraine. (Fox News)
The mayor of Mariupol, Vadym Boichenko, posted on the Telegram messaging service Thursday that Russia's army is "blocking the supply and repair of electricity, water and heat" from his city in southeastern Ukraine.
"They have also damaged the railways. They have destroyed bridges and smashed trains so that we can't evacuate women, children and the elderly out of Mariupol," he added.
Yesterday, Boichenko reported mass casualties in Mariupol as it suffered intense shelling from Russian forces.
Video and images posted online Thursday are showing smoke rising from an oil depot in Chernihiv -- north of Kyiv -- following apparent shelling by the Russian military.
Firefighters were also seen trying to extinguish the flames.
Fox News chief correspondent Jonathan Hunt provides details on the number of Ukrainian refugees fleeing the Russian invasion.
Julia Laesser, a teacher sheltering in Kharkiv amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine, describes her situation to 'Fox & Friends First.'
Russia's invasion of Ukraine represents the beginning of World War III, an attack on the free world, a Ukrainian member of parliament told Fox News on Thursday night.
Alexey Goncharenko claimed he implored the U.S. to provide his country with weapons. He also said Ukrainians would give Russian President Vladimir Putin "hell" if he invades Kyiv.
On Fox & Friends First, Fox News' Trace Gallagher noted that the U.S. is hesitant to put American troops in Ukraine because it might lead to World War III, to which Goncharenko replied that World War III had already started.
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"The enemy does not go unpunished," Ukraine's Defense Ministry tweeted Thursday along with a video of Ukrainian artillery. "Artillerymen of the Joint Forces / Joint Forces Operation Inflict heavy fire damage, destroying columns and clusters of Russian occupation troops.💥 Ukraine's artillery is working as clearly, precisely, and effectively as ever."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he spoke to South Korean President Moon Jae-in Thursday how the country is defending itself, Russia's alleged war crimes and he thanked him for "supporting[Ukraine] and imposing sanctions. We will continue to work together building an anti-war coalition around the world."
Russian troops were seen Thursday in the center of Kherson, a Black Sea port city in southern Ukraine , a day after Russia claimed to have taken control there, according to reports.
As many as 300 people may have been killed as the Russians entered the city, its mayor estimated, according to The New York Times. He said many of the bodies were rendered unrecognizable due to the Russians’ high-powered weapons.
The mayor and Russian defense officials claimed Wednesday that Russian troops gained control of the city of about 250,000 to 300,000 people but other Ukraine officials – including President Volodymyr Zelenskyy – countered that Ukrainians were still putting up a fight, Reuters reported.
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A human rights expert has warned that a Russian victory in Ukraine would prove a "catastrophe" for religious freedom, considering Russian President Vladimir Putin's record and the record of the pro-Putin breakaway regions in Ukraine.
"If Ukraine falls, it will be a complete religious freedom catastrophe for countless faith communities," Tina Ramirez, president and executive director of the Richmond, Virginia, based human rights nonprofit Hardwired Global, told Fox News Digital. "For evidence, we need look no further than what is already the case in Russia itself and in the Russia-controlled Ukraine regions Luhansk and Donetsk."
"Media sources, religious freedom activists, the OCU, Muslims, Protestant churches, and Jehovah’s Witnesses stated that Russia-backed authorities in the Russia-controlled areas of Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts (regions) continued to exert pressure on minority religious groups," according to a 2020 State Department report on religious freedom in Ukraine.
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Two independent news outlets who have refused to toe the Kremlin's line following Russia's invasion of Ukraine were forced off the air this week.
Russian authorities accused Ekho Moskvy, one of the country’s oldest radio stations, and Dozhd, Russia’s top independent TV channel, of "false information regarding the actions of Russian military personnel as part of a special operation" in Ukraine.
Alexei Venediktov, editor-in-chief of Ekho Moskvy, wrote that the accusations "are not supported by any examples, any evidence… are unfounded and insulting to journalists and citizens of Russia," adding that the order will be challenged in court.
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A Russian national flag above the headquarters of Bank Rossii, Russia's central bank, in Moscow, Russia, on Monday, Feb. 28, 2022. The Bank of Russia acted quickly to shield the nations $1.5 trillion economy from sweeping sanctions that hit key banks, pushed the ruble to a record low and left President Vladimir Putin unable to access much of his war chest of more than $640 billion. Photographer: Andrey Rudakov/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Russia's central bank is adding a 30% fee on foreign currency, according to a report.
The rouble, Russia's currency has hit a record low due to severe sanctioned imposed on the country by the U.S. and its allies, Reuters reported.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced an emergency ban on transferring money abroad among other measures, according to the BBC.
Fox News national security contributor Kiron Skinner reacts to the US House of Representatives passing a resolution in support of Ukraine.
Neutral athletes with re-branded clothing arrive at the Paralympic Village. Tape is seen covering the word 'Russia' on the back of an athlete's jacket as a result of the announcement on Wednesday March 2, 2022, that athletes from the Russian Paralympic Committee and Belarus would be competing as neutrals under the Paralympic flag. Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympic Games, Beijing, China, Thursday 03 March 2022. (Thomas Lovelock/OIS via AP)
The International Paralympic Committee in a reversal Thursday said that Russian and Belarusian athletes have been banned from the Winter Games in Beijing that start Friday.
The about-face came after widespread criticism when it said less than 24 hours ago that the athletes would be allowed to compete as long as they didn't represent their countries.
“In the last 12 hours, an overwhelming number of members have been in touch with us,” IPC President Andrew Parsons said in a statement. “They have told us that if we do not reconsider our decision, it is now likely to have grave consequences. What is clear is that the rapidly escalating situation has now put us in a unique and impossible position so close to the start of the Games.”
Other international sports organizations like FIFA and the International Skating Union (ISU) have already banned Russian athletes from competition.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Mykhailo Podoliak, a Ukrainian presidential office adviser, Thursday said the towns where Russian troops are stationed "immediately turn into places of looting, robbery, murder."
"We need humanitarian corridors - food, medicine, ambulance, evacuation. We need active help of international organizations," he said, specifically mentioning the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
"Enough talking," he added.
International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Karim A.A.Khan said an investigation of “past and present allegations of war crimes” related to Ukraine will be immediately opened, Fox News reporter Mike Tobin reported early Thursday.
The announcement of the investigation came after "receipt of referrals by 39 state parties," Khan said, according to Reuters.
Russia isn't a member of the ICC, having withdrawn in 2016 over the court calling his annexation of Crimea an occupation.
Reporting on the war in recent days has shown Russia appearing to target civilians and civilian infrastructure in Ukraine.
Publix, a supermarket chain widely known throughout the southeastern U.S., has removed Russian-made vodka brands from its store shelves to show its support for Ukraine against the Russian invasion, Publix Director of Communications Maria Brous said Wednesday.
"Publix stands with the people of Ukraine," Brous told FOX Business via email. "The following Russian-made vodka brands have been removed from our liquor store shelves: Beluga, Ruskova, Russian Standard, and Zyr." (READ MORE)
Fireworks light up the sky over Olympic Stadium during the closing ceremony of the 2022 Winter Olympics, Sunday, Feb. 20, 2022, in Beijing. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Chinese officials asked Russian officials to wait until the Winter Olympics in Beijing had concluded before sending troops into Ukraine, U.S. officials said, according to a report.
The information was collected by a Western intelligence service before the invasion and considered credible by the U.S., showing China had some knowledge of Russia's plans, according to the New York Times.
The Olympics ended on Feb. 20 and Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24.
A Chinese Embassy spokesperson in Washington,, D.C., told the Times, “These claims are speculation without any basis, and are intended to blame-shift and smear China.”
The United Nations General Assembly passed a historic resolution Wednesday condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine and demanding an immediate withdrawal. The resolution holds no legal authority, but stands as a symbol of global unity against Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Only five of the 181 nations present voted against the measure, while the U.S. and 140 other nations supported it. Even authoritarian regimes like China, Cuba, and Iran abstained from the vote. Only Russia, Belarus, Eritrea, North Korea, and Syria voted against the resolution.
The United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine reported that as of midnight on March 1, it recorded 752 civilian casualties in Ukraine since the beginning of the invasion, the Kyiv Independent reported.
Several Russian warships from Crimea have been heading toward Odesa, Ukraine's third-largest city. An amphibious assault could come as soon as Thursday, U.S. officials told Fox News.
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