Amankgupta

The Indian embassy in Ukraine said “Pisochyn has been evacuated of all Indian citizens. Mission will continue to remain in touch with them through their journey. Their safety has always been our priority.” Earlier, the MEA spokesperson had said, “In nearby Pisochyn, as of a few hours ago, there were less than 289 students who were to be evacuated. We hope to complete that task by today. Three buses have already left with students from there. In five buses, we will be able to get the rest. We should be able to clear out everyone in a few hours.” In the last 24 hours, Bagchi said, 15 flights landed in India with 2,900 people on board. Around 13,300 have returned to India on 63 flights under Operation Ganga so far. In the next 24 hours, 13 flights have been scheduled including one by an IAF aircraft. The Indian government asked students in Sumy in north-eastern Ukraine to stay put and called for a ceasefire in the area so that they can be evacuated. “We are deeply concerned about Indian students in Sumy, Ukraine. Have strongly pressed Russian and Ukrainian governments through multiple channels for an immediate ceasefire to create a safe corridor for our students. Have advised our students to take safety precautions, stay inside shelters and avoid unnecessary risks. The Ministry and our Embassies are in regular touch with the students,” Bagchi said.

The Indian embassy in Ukraine said “Pisochyn has been evacuated of all Indian citizens. Mission will continue to remain in touch with them through their journey. Their safety has always been our priority.” Earlier, the MEA spokesperson had said, “In nearby Pisochyn, as of a few hours ago, there were less than 289 students who were to be evacuated. We hope to complete that task by today. Three buses have already left with students from there. In five buses, we will be able to get the rest. We should be able to clear out everyone in a few hours.” In the last 24 hours, Bagchi said, 15 flights landed in India with 2,900 people on board. Around 13,300 have returned to India on 63 flights under Operation Ganga so far. In the next 24 hours, 13 flights have been scheduled including one by an IAF aircraft. The Indian government asked students in Sumy in north-eastern Ukraine to stay put and called for a ceasefire in the area so that they can be evacuated. “We are deeply concerned about Indian students in Sumy, Ukraine. Have strongly pressed Russian and Ukrainian governments through multiple channels for an immediate ceasefire to create a safe corridor for our students. Have advised our students to take safety precautions, stay inside shelters and avoid unnecessary risks. The Ministry and our Embassies are in regular touch with the students,” Bagchi said.

Negotiator from the Ukrainian side, Denis Kireev, was killed by the Security Service of Ukraine on ‘Suspicion of Treason’, Russian news agency RIA said on Saturday. A member of the first delegation of Ukraine at the negotiations with Russia was killed during the arrest, it said. Officials in the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol on Saturday said they were delaying an evacuation of the civilian population, accusing Moscow’s troops of breaking a ceasefire, according to AFP news agency. “Due to the fact that the Russian side does not adhere to the ceasefire and has continued shelling both of Mariupol itself and its environs and for security reasons, the evacuation of the civilian population has been postponed,” city officials said in a statement on social media. While the Russian ceasefire does not extend to eastern Ukraine, India is in touch with both Russian and Ukrainian authorities to evacuate students stuck in Sumy after its implementation, sources told CNN-News18. The students have issued desperate pleas for help in Sumy, and said on Saturday that they had witnessed an airstrike near their hostel. Ukraine’s strategic port city of Mariupol is under a “blockade” by the Russian army after days of “ruthless” attacks, its mayor said on Saturday, calling for the establishment of a humanitarian corridor. “For now, we are looking for solutions to humanitarian problems and all possible ways to get Mariupol out of the blockade,” said Vadim Boychenko in a message posted on Telegram. Russian forces are now only 32 kilometres (20 miles) away from Ukraine’s second largest nuclear facility, the Yuzhnoukrainsk Nuclear Power Station in Mykolaiv Oblast, US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield has said. Meanwhile, multiple blasts have been reported in Kharkiv, and residents have been asked to seek their nearest shelter for safety. The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting Monday on the humanitarian crisis triggered in Ukraine by the Russian invasion, diplomats said Friday. After this public session, the 15 members of the council will confer behind closed doors to discuss a possible draft resolution, a diplomat speaking on condition of anonymity told AFP.

Chernihiv: Every gust of wind loosens another pane of glass, another lump of rubble, sending debris crashing into the streets of Chernihiv, scattering surviving civilians as they navigate their devastated city. The industrial town of 300,000 sits across the path chosen by a Russian invading army for its advance on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and it has paid a steep price for resisting the assault. Dozens of civilians have been killed in shelling, missile attacks and air raids, and now those remaining live among ruins and craters -- many of them seeking to escape.

Ukraine's Black sea port city Kherson continued to witness bombardment as Russia continued its invasion. Russian troops had entered the southern city of Enerhodar, a major energy hub on the Dnieper River that accounts for about one-quarter of the country’s power generation. It is the site of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, the biggest in Europe. A Ukrainian negotiator said on Thursday that a second round of ceasefire talks with Russia had not yielded the results Kyiv hoped for, but the sides had reached an understanding on creating humanitarian corridors to evacuate civilians. Twenty-two people died on Thursday when Russian forces hit residential areas, including schools and a high-rise apartment block in the northern Ukrainian city of Chernihiv, the emergency service said. Russian President Vladimir Putin told French President Emmanuel Macron that he was determined to press on with his attack “until the end”, according to an official in the French president’s office. In a statement issued after the French and Russian presidents spoke by phone, the Kremlin made clear its goals included the demilitarisation and neutrality of Ukraine.

Ukraine's Black sea port city Kherson continued to witness bombardment as Russia continued its invasion. Russian troops had entered the southern city of Enerhodar, a major energy hub on the Dnieper River that accounts for about one-quarter of the country’s power generation. It is the site of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, the biggest in Europe. A Ukrainian negotiator said on Thursday that a second round of ceasefire talks with Russia had not yielded the results Kyiv hoped for, but the sides had reached an understanding on creating humanitarian corridors to evacuate civilians. Twenty-two people died on Thursday when Russian forces hit residential areas, including schools and a high-rise apartment block in the northern Ukrainian city of Chernihiv, the emergency service said. Russian President Vladimir Putin told French President Emmanuel Macron that he was determined to press on with his attack “until the end”, according to an official in the French president’s office. In a statement issued after the French and Russian presidents spoke by phone, the Kremlin made clear its goals included the demilitarisation and neutrality of Ukraine.

Russian troops are shelling Europe's largest nuclear power station in Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Moscow on Friday of resorting to "nuclear terror" and wanting to "repeat" the Chernobyl disaster after he said invading Russian forces shot at a nuclear power plant. "No country other than Russia has ever fired on nuclear power units. This is the first time in our history. In the history of mankind. The terrorist state now resorted to nuclear terror," he said in a video message. Ukrainian authorities said the safety of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant was now secured, after a fire broke out Friday when the station came under fire from invading Russian forces. "The director of the plant said that the nuclear safety is now guaranteed. According to those responsible for the plant, a training building and a laboratory were affected by the fire," Oleksandr Starukh, head of the military administration of the Zaporizhzhia region, said on Facebook. President Joe Biden spoke late Thursday with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky about a nuclear power plant in Ukraine that local officials said was attacked by Russian forces, a senior US official said. The official said only that the two presidents spoke, amid reports that the nuclear power plant, the largest in Europe, caught fire after Russian attacks on it.

Among the biggest hurdles for the 182 Indian students who were repatriated from Ukraine on Tuesday morning was perhaps the freezing temperature which plunged to nearly -5 degree Celsius at the Ukraine-Romania border while they anxiously waited to cross over from Hlybots’kyi in the war-torn country to Suceava city in Romania. “The worst part was the 34-hour wait at the Romanian border. I could not eat, drink or sleep. The temperature was -3 to -5 degrees Celsius. There was no food except the coffee and bread given by Ukrainians. There was no toilet or place to sleep. At one point, I thought of returning to my university as we were not allowed to cross the border and my health was getting affected. I saw some girls falling unconscious,” said Dinanath Rai (21) from Bihar who landed at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport around 7 am on Tuesday along with 11 others from the state.

Ukraine (Ukrainian: Україна, romanized: Ukraïna, pronounced [ʊkrɐˈjinɐ] (listen)) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest country by area in Europe after Russia, which it borders to the east and north-east.[a] Ukraine also shares borders with Belarus to the north; Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary to the west; Romania and Moldova[b] to the south; and has a coastline along the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea. It spans an area of 603,628 km2 (233,062 sq mi).[c] With a population of 43.6 million,[d] Ukraine is the eighth-most populous country in Europe. The nation's capital and largest city is Kyiv.The territory of modern Ukraine has been inhabited since 32,000 BC. During the Middle Ages, the area was a key centre of East Slavic culture, with the loose tribal federation Kievan Rus' forming the basis of Ukrainian identity. Reaching its height in the mid-11th century, during which it was among the richest and largest realms in Europe, Kievan Rus' gradually declined until its collapse from the Mongol invasion in the 13th century. Over the next 600 years, the area was contested, divided, and ruled by a variety of powers, including the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and Tsardom of Russia. The Cossack Hetmanate emerged and prospered during the 17th and 18th centuries but was ultimately partitioned between Poland and the Russian Empire. In the aftermath of the Russian Revolution, a Ukrainian national movement for self-determination emerged, forming the internationally recognized Ukrainian People's Republic on 23 June 1917. The short-lived state was forcibly reconstituted by the Bolsheviks into the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, which became a founding member of the Soviet Union in 1922. Ukraine was the most populous and industrialised republic after the Russian Soviet Republic, until regaining its independence in 1991, following the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

A missile appears to strike a building in Ukraine as a volunteer records a video on his mobile phone asking for donations. Speaking in the video, the man explains that he has brought supplies from a supermarket and has delivered them to those in need, before he is cut off by the sound of an airstrike. While it is unclear exactly where the missile hit, the blast shatters windows and sends debris flying across the room he's filming in. The man then quickly picks up the camera before ending his recording.

Russia Ukraine Crisis Live: Russian forces laid siege to two strategic Ukrainian seaports and pressed their bombardment of the country’s second-biggest city, while the huge armoured column threatening Kyiv appeared stalled outside the capital. Russia’s defence ministry said Wednesday morning it had captured Kherson but several hours later an adviser to President Volodymyr Zelenskiy responded that the Ukrainian side was continuing to defend the location.The UN General Assembly voted at an emergency session Wednesday to demand an immediate halt to Moscow’s attack on Ukraine and the withdrawal of all Russian troops, with sustained applause breaking out after a formidable show of support among the 193 member nations against the invasion. India abstained on the resolution and reiterated that differences can only be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy. Russia reported its military casualties for the first time since the invasion began last week, saying nearly 500 of its troops have been killed and almost 1,600 wounded. Ukraine, however, claimed that over 7,000 Russian servicemen have been killed since last Thursday. It did not disclose its own military losses but said more than 2,000 civilians have died.

A heartwarming video from Ukraine on March 2 apparently shows locals feeding hot drinks to a captured young Russian soldier. The post has been shared by the Wall Street Journal's Russian writer, Matthew Luxmore, who said: "Video being widely shared on Ukrainian channels of a captured Russian soldier apparently being fed by locals. "The post says he burst into tears when he was allowed to video-call his mother. So many of these troops are just teenagers, with absolutely no clue what this war is really for." Devon Live reports that the young soldier can be seen sobbing when the phone connects to his mum Natasha and he blows her a kiss to the screen.

Ukrainian authorities say Russian missile attacks have hit the center of Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, including residential areas and the regional administration building. Kharkiv's regional chief said Russia launched Grad rockets and cruise missiles on the city on March 1. Despite overwhelming evidence of an indiscriminate bombardment of the city, Russia continues to deny its military is hitting civilian targets.

Ukraine says it has inflicted 800 casualties among Russian forces From CNN's Tim Lister in Kyiv The Ukrainian Defense Ministry says its armed forces have inflicted some 800 casualties on Russian forces since the invasion began in the early hours of Thursday. It was not immediately clear whether the ministry was referring solely to the number killed. The ministry said more than 30 Russian tanks had been destroyed, as well as seven Russian aircraft and six helicopters. CNN is not able to independently verify Ukraine's figures. 11:14 p.m. ET, February 24, 2022 EU announces new "maximum impact" sanctions on Russia From CNN’s Hira Humayun The European Union announced new sanctions on Russia early Friday that would target the country's financial, energy and transport sectors, visa policy, and include export controls and export financing bans. The sanctions will have "maximum impact on the Russian economy and political elite," said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at a joint news conference with French President Emmanuel Macron. “We will hold the Kremlin accountable,” she said. She said the financial sanctions cut Russia’s most important capital markets, and that they are now targeting 70% of the Russian banking market and key state-owned companies. The sanctions will increase Russia’s borrowing costs, raise inflation and “gradually erode Russia’s industrial base," she said. “We are also targeting Russian elites by curbing their deposits so that they cannot hide their money anymore in safe havens in Europe,” she added. An export ban will also hit Russia's oil sector, and ban the sale of all aircraft spare parts and equipment to Russian airlines, which Von der Leyen said would hit a key sector of Russia’s economy and the country’s connectivity. The sanctions also limit Russia’s access to "crucial technology," she said. Diplomats, related groups and businesspeople will no longer have privileged access to the EU, she added.

US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley spoke with allies in Europe by phone on Thursday, after Russia began an invasion of Ukraine. Milley spoke with officials from the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy and Canada. He also had a "combined meeting with the Bucharest 9 allies," — Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Slovakia — according to a readout of the calls. "The leaders shared assessments of the unprovoked and unjustified attack by Russian military forces into Ukraine," the readout said. "The Chairman addressed US reinforcement of NATO Allies through repositioning of forces in Europe to assure Allies and partners and deter Russia from conducting further provocations." Earlier Thursday, US President Joe Biden and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced the deployment of an additional 7,000 troops to Germany from the US to support NATO allies amid the crisis. Milley will "continue to conduct outreach" to partners and allies in the coming days, the readout said.

Ukrainian authorities say Russian missile attacks have hit the center of Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, including residential areas and the regional administration building. Kharkiv's regional chief said Russia launched Grad rockets and cruise missiles on the city on March 1. Despite overwhelming evidence of an indiscriminate bombardment of the city, Russia continues to deny its military is hitting civilian targets.

Russia-Ukraine War News LIVE Updates: Satellite images taken on Monday show a Russian military convoy north of the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv that stretches for about 40 miles (64 km), substantially longer than the 17 miles (27 km) reported earlier in the day, a U.S. private company said, according to a Reuters report. Maxar Technologies also said additional ground forces deployments and ground attack helicopter units were READ MORE

It’s easy to trace where those hundreds of tanks, towed artillery, armored and logistical vehicles came from. Just follow the roads. In Ukraine, northwest of Kyiv, all roads lead to Belarus. The roadway and bridge at Chernobyl — the town, not the failed nuclear reactor — ends in Belarus. Every other major road northwest of the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, ends in Belarus, which borders northern Ukraine. Russian buildup of troops: For weeks prior to its invasion of Ukraine, Russia amassed its forces in Belarus. Hundreds of Russian military vehicles, aircraft and helicopters were moved to the former Soviet state in order to participate in what the two allies described as joint exercises. But after the maneuvers ended, the Russian forces didn’t go home. In fact, additional satellite imagery from Maxar showed that Russia continued to increase the amount of military vehicles, air power and weaponry in Belarus. From the city of Brest in the country's east, to Gomel in the west, Russian forces kept popping up at air bases, in towns and in even in fields on satellite images and social media.

It’s easy to trace where those hundreds of tanks, towed artillery, armored and logistical vehicles came from. Just follow the roads. In Ukraine, northwest of Kyiv, all roads lead to Belarus. The roadway and bridge at Chernobyl — the town, not the failed nuclear reactor — ends in Belarus. Every other major road northwest of the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, ends in Belarus, which borders northern Ukraine. Russian buildup of troops: For weeks prior to its invasion of Ukraine, Russia amassed its forces in Belarus. Hundreds of Russian military vehicles, aircraft and helicopters were moved to the former Soviet state in order to participate in what the two allies described as joint exercises. But after the maneuvers ended, the Russian forces didn’t go home. In fact, additional satellite imagery from Maxar showed that Russia continued to increase the amount of military vehicles, air power and weaponry in Belarus. From the city of Brest in the country's east, to Gomel in the west, Russian forces kept popping up at air bases, in towns and in even in fields on satellite images and social media.

Talks between Ukraine and Russia are due to begin on Monday morning near the Belarusian border, reports TASS news agency. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy tells British Prime Minister Boris Johnson that the next 24 hours are a “crucial period” for Ukraine. Ukraine’s military says Sunday was a “difficult time” for its troops and that Russian forces “continue shelling in almost all directions”. Ukraine’s health ministry says 352 civilians, including 14 children, have been killed since the beginning of Russia’s invasion. Russian President Vladimir Putin has put Russia’s nuclear forces on high alert. Kharkiv governor says Ukrainian troops have full control of the country’s second-largest city after street fighting with Russian forces

Talks between Ukraine and Russia are due to begin on Monday morning near the Belarusian border, reports TASS news agency. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy tells British Prime Minister Boris Johnson that the next 24 hours are a “crucial period” for Ukraine. Ukraine’s military says Sunday was a “difficult time” for its troops and that Russian forces “continue shelling in almost all directions”. Ukraine’s health ministry says 352 civilians, including 14 children, have been killed since the beginning of Russia’s invasion. Russian President Vladimir Putin has put Russia’s nuclear forces on high alert. Kharkiv governor says Ukrainian troops have full control of the country’s second-largest city after street fighting with Russian forces

As Ukraine starts its fourth day fending off Russian troops and munitions, a Kyiv official declared Sunday that the capital city was still in the hands of Ukrainians. "The situation in Kyiv is calm, the capital is completely controlled by the Ukrainian army and defense," Mykola Povoroznyk, first deputy head of the Kyiv City State Administration, said on messaging service Telegram. He warned that it was not news to savor; the city was under attack by Russian forces. "There were several clashes with sabotage groups at night," Povoroznyk said. Ukraine's minister of defense, Oleksiy Reznikov, said early Sunday that forces fending off the Russian offensive in Kyiv have made history. "Three days changed our country and the world forever," he said on Facebook. "I see a heroic army, a civil guard, fearless border guards, selfless rescuers, reliable police officers, tireless medical angels," Reznikov said on Facebook. He also praised thousands of Ukrainians who took up arms in defense of Kyiv and their country. "You are seen by all, the whole world!" he wrote.

As Ukraine starts its fourth day fending off Russian troops and munitions, a Kyiv official declared Sunday that the capital city was still in the hands of Ukrainians. "The situation in Kyiv is calm, the capital is completely controlled by the Ukrainian army and defense," Mykola Povoroznyk, first deputy head of the Kyiv City State Administration, said on messaging service Telegram. He warned that it was not news to savor; the city was under attack by Russian forces. "There were several clashes with sabotage groups at night," Povoroznyk said. Ukraine's minister of defense, Oleksiy Reznikov, said early Sunday that forces fending off the Russian offensive in Kyiv have made history. "Three days changed our country and the world forever," he said on Facebook. "I see a heroic army, a civil guard, fearless border guards, selfless rescuers, reliable police officers, tireless medical angels," Reznikov said on Facebook. He also praised thousands of Ukrainians who took up arms in defense of Kyiv and their country. "You are seen by all, the whole world!" he wrote.

France will send fuel and defensive equipment to Ukraine to support the country’s resistance to the Russian invasion, the Élysée Palace said in a statement Saturday following a partial meeting of the national defence council. The statement provided no additional information about the defensive equipment, but an Elysée source told journalists earlier Saturday that it could include anti-tank weapons, CNN reported. The national defence council also agreed to freeze the financial assets of Russians targeted by sanctions and announced plans to “fight propaganda from influencers and the Russian media on European soil," according to a statement. These measures were not described in detail. According to the statement, French President Emmanuel Macron announced a “strengthening of economic and financial sanctions" in line with the European Union and the United States.

The battle has begun for control of Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, with explosions and gunfire reported in the city early Saturday as Russian troops advanced. Russia’s assault on Ukraine began Thursday and quickly spread across the country as Russian forces attacked from three sides by land, sea and air. The US will join the EU and UK in directly sanctioning Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Russian foreign minister, the White House said. Having connection issues? Bookmark CNN's lite site for fast connectivity. You can read updates at CNN Español here, and scroll through photos on the ground here. 11:02 p.m. ET, February 25, 2022 See what parts of Ukraine Russian forces have occupied so far From CNN's Renée Rigdon Russian forces have taken control of portions of northern Ukraine outside the capital of Kyiv, including the Chernobyl exclusion zone, according to analysis from the Institute for the Study of War in Washington, DC. They've also moved into the city of Kherson, north of the Crimean peninsula. 10:58 p.m. ET, February 25, 2022 Gunfire heard in Kyiv From CNN's Tim Lister in Kyiv Several bursts of gunfire were heard in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, close to the city center around 5:45 a.m. local time Saturday (10:45 p.m. ET Friday). It appeared to come from the southeast. 10:55 p.m. ET, February 25, 2022 Ukrainian TV broadcasts instructions for how to make Molotov cocktails As Ukrainian leaders urge residents to stand their ground and resist Russia's invasion, one television channel broadcast instructions on how to make Molotov cocktails on Friday. The TV segment showed a person creating the makeshift explosive, pouring colored liquid into a glass bottle, with a diagram on the side showing how to stopper the bottle with a cloth wick. Earlier Friday, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry tweeted that citizens should "make Molotov cocktails and take down the occupier," as Russian forces drew closer to the capital Kyiv.