The four mentioned cities where ceasefire decalred are currently under a “significant” Russian assault operation…reports Asian Lite News
Russian armed forces said on Monday that it will hold fire and open humanitarian corridors in some Ukrainian cities from 10 a.m. (Moscow time, about 12.30 p.m. IST) to allow civilians to escape at the “personal request” of French President Emmanuel Macron to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, state media reported.
In a statement, the Russian military said: “Given the catastrophic humanitarian situation and its sharp aggravation in the cities of Kiev, Kharkov, Sumy and Mariupol, as well as at the personal request of the President of the French Republic Emmanuel Macron to the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin, the Russian Armed Forces announce a ceasefire and open humanitarian corridors…,” Sputnik News reported.
The four mentioned cities are currently under a “significant” Russian assault operation, said the BBC.
However, authorities in Ukraine are yet to confirm this development.
Over the weekend, two efforts to open a route to allow civilians to evacuate from Mariupol in the country’s south-east collapsed, said the BBC report.
Ukrainian officials said this was because Russia continued to shell the city during the agreed ceasefire hours.
Now, the company is taking an additional step in shutting down its service entirely….reports Asian Lite News
Streaming giant Netflix has suspended its services in Russia to protest the country’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Earlier this week, the streaming service had announced that it would pause all future projects and acquisitions from Russia, joining a growing list of companies that have cut ties with the country, reports variety.com.
Netflix had four Russian originals in the works, including a crime thriller series directed by Dasha Zhuk, which was shooting and has since been put on hold. Netflix also recently refused to carry 20 Russian free-to-air propaganda channels that it was required to host under the Russian law.
Now, the company is taking an additional step in shutting down its service entirely.
“Given the circumstances on the ground, we have decided to suspend our service in Russia,” a spokesperson for Netflix said.
The economic blowback that Russia has faced in the wake of its decision to go to war with Ukraine has been intense. Not only is the country grappling with extensive sanctions, but many corporations and organisations have pulled out of Russia.
Companies like Microsoft, Apple and Dell have announced that they have suspended sales in the country, while Ikea has closed stores and Nike has said it will no longer fulfill online orders. On the entertainment front, all of the major studios have announced they will stop releasing their films in Russia.
Netflix is somewhat of a newcomer to Russia. It launched its service in 2016 and has a relatively small presence, with roughly one million subscribers.
The streamer boasts 222 million subscribers globally. It operates the service as a joint venture with Russia’s National Media Group.
Netflix also recently announced that it would make its 2015 documentary “Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom,” available to watch for free. The non-fiction film centers on the Euromaidan protests in Ukraine, which were sparked by former president Viktor Yanukovych’s decision not to sign an agreement with the European Union and instead choose to strengthen ties to Russia.
Those protests ultimately resulted in Yanukovych’s ouster. It also exacerbated tensions with Russia, with Vladimir Putin using the overthrow as a pretext for invading and annexing the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has caused a humanitarian and refugee crisis, along with increasing fears that it could trigger a nuclear conflict.
The received documents are now being analyzed by Russian specialists from the troops of radiation, chemical and biological protection….reports Asian Lite News
The Russian Defence Ministry showed documents from Ukrainian biological laboratories, which are funded by the US Department of Defense.
The documents confirm that Ukrainian biological laboratories located in close proximity to Russia were developing components of biological weapons, Ren TV reported.
“We have received from employees of Ukrainian biological laboratories documentation on the emergency destruction of especially dangerous pathogens of plague, anthrax, tularemia, cholera and other deadly diseases on February 24,” the report says.
The Ministry of Defence reported that after the start of the Russian special operation in the Donbass, the Pentagon had concerns that information about secret biological experiments conducted on the territory of Ukraine would be disclosed.
The received documents are now being analyzed by Russian specialists from the troops of radiation, chemical and biological protection.
“In order to prevent the discovery of the facts of violation by the United States and Ukraine of Article 1 of the UN Convention on the Prohibition of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons, the Ukrainian Ministry of Health sent an instruction to all biological laboratories on the urgent elimination of stored stocks of dangerous pathogens,” the Russian Defence Ministry said.
The list of published documents includes an order of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine dated February 24, 2022, which refers to the “emergency destruction of biological pathogenic agents”.
Ukraine used the Chernobyl nuclear power plant zone for work on the manufacture of a “dirty bomb” and the separation of plutonium, a representative of one of the competent departments of Russia said.
“It is worth noting separately the use of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant zone as a site for the development of nuclear weapons,” the source told RIA Novosti.
According to the source, the increased radiation background natural for the Chernobyl zone hid the conduct of such work, RT reported.
The offensive operations are resuming due to the unwillingness of the Ukrainian side to influence the nationalists or extend the ‘silence regime’, Russian defence ministry said, reports Asian Lite News
The official representative of the Russian Defense Ministry, Igor Konashenkov, said that due to the unwillingness of the Ukrainian side to influence the nationalists or extend the silence period, offensive operations have been resumed.
“Due to the unwillingness of the Ukrainian side to influence the nationalists or extend the ‘silence regime’, offensive operations have been resumed,” Konashenkov said, RT reported.
According to him, the nationalist battalions took advantage of the “silence regime” to regroup and strengthen their positions.
Russia had announced a silence regime so that civilians in Mariupol and Volnovakha could use the humanitarian corridors.
Russia’s Defense Ministry Spokesman Igor Konashenkov.(Photo:@mod_russia)
The Russian army took control of a military base near Kherson, the Ukrainian military “left their positions in a hurry”, leaving their positions with equipment, weapons and ammunition, the Russian Defense Ministry said.
“Russian military personnel took control of the military base of the armed forces of Ukraine near the village of Radensk in Kherson region. The Ukrainian military left their positions in a hurry, leaving the base with equipment, weapons and ammunition,” the ministry said.
Among the trophies discovered were Ukrainian T-64 and T-80 tanks, as well as armored personnel carriers and infantry fighting vehicles, and Ural vehicles.
Presumably, various units were trained at this base, including marines, sappers, signalmen, tankers and artillerymen. In total, about 4,000 people could be accommodated at the base.
Konashenkov said that the troops of the Lugansk and Donetsk People’s Republics took control of eight new settlements.
China’s spokesperson reiterated the country’s claim that the US provoked Russia by not ruling out NATO membership for Ukraine….reports Asian Lite News
Chinas Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin has condemned the “fake” and “very despicable” suggestion that Beijing asked Russia to delay its invasion of Ukraine until after the 2022 Winter Olympics had finished.
Speaking at a daily briefing on Thursday, Wang told reporters that the allegation in a US newspaper “is purely fake news, and such behaviours of diverting attention and shifting blame are very despicable”.
He reiterated the country’s claim that the US provoked Russia by not ruling out NATO membership for Ukraine.
The report in The New York Times quoted a Western intelligence report as saying senior Chinese officials told senior Russian officials to not invade Ukraine until the international sporting event in Beijing had concluded, RT reported.
The article claims the “report indicates that senior Chinese officials had some level of direct knowledge about Russia’s war plans or intentions before the invasion started”.
China was one of 35 nations that abstained from a vote of the UN General Assembly on Wednesday, which saw 141 nations condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, while only five members, including Moscow, rejected the resolution.
“Regrettably, the draft resolution submitted to the General Assembly emergency special session for vote had not undergone full consultations with the whole membership, nor does it take into consideration the history and the complexity of the current crisis,” Wang told reporters, explaining China’s decision to abstain.
The war between Russia and Ukraine has entered the eighth day after Russian President Vladimir Putin called for a military operation…reports Asian Lite News
Amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, the Quad leaders will hold a meeting on Thursday to discuss the developments in the Indo-Pacific region.
The Ministry of External Affairs said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will participate along with the US President Joe Biden, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in a Quad Leaders’ virtual meeting.
The four countries have an informal alliance called the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, or Quad, that positions itself as being committed to a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific.
“The Leaders will have an opportunity to continue their dialogue after the September 2021 Summit in Washington D.C.,” the ministry said.
They will exchange views and assessments about the important developments in the Indo-Pacific.
The Quad leaders will also review the ongoing efforts to implement the Leaders’ initiatives announced as part of the Quad’s contemporary and positive agenda.
The war between Russia and Ukraine has entered the eighth day after Russian President Vladimir Putin called for a military operation.
In the meantime, in a resolution, backed by 141 of its 193 members, the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday deplored in the strongest terms Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, reaffirmed its commitment to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, and demanded that Russia immediately cease its use of force and “completely and unconditionally” withdraw all its troops.
Five countries — Russia, Belarus, Eritrea, North Korea, and Syria — voted against the resolution, and 35 abstained.
India had abstained from the vote on the resolution titled ‘On aggression against Ukraine’.
Oil industry bodies demanded the government to ensure soya solvent plants are working at full capacity as the Ukraine conflict affects the imports…reports Asian Lite News
Banking on abundant mustard production expected this year, an apex edible oil industry body has said the Russia-Ukraine war is likely to have little impact on domestic edible oil rates even as international prices have gone up. It, however, demanded that the government ensure soya solvent plants are working at full capacity.
There is some uncertainty and prices of some of the edible oils have gone up by $200 in the international market. India imports sunflower seeds from Ukraine as imports are relatively cheaper even when India’s sunflower seed production ranges between 60,000-75,000 tonnes.
As per the government data, the all India retail prices for sunflower seeds oil on March 2 was 159.07 per kg compared to Rs 158.06 on March 1; Rs 156.66 (February 28); Rs 152.54 (February 27) and Rs 152.3 (February 26). The prices for retail one week back, one month back and one year back was Rs 151.08, Rs 149.42 and 149.47 respectively.
The comparative wholesale prices were Rs 15,357.69 per quintal on March 2 compared to Rs Rs 15,291.27 on March; Rs 15,108.29 on February 28; Rs 14,791.29 (February 27) and Rs 14,673.88 (February 26). The prices for wholesale one week back, one month back and one year back were Rs 14,497.07, Rs 14,171.46 and Rs 14,517.91 respectively.
Chairman of the Central Organisation for Oil Industry and Trade (COOIT), Suresh Nagpal, said, “(Even when) edible oil is not coming from Ukraine, thankfully, in India, we have stocks available for 40-45 days.”
“This year, India is expecting record mustard production. This will play an important role in meeting the edible oil deficit. After March 15, 3 to 4 lakh tonnes of mustard oil will be available per month,” Nagpal said.
COOIT also has demanded the government to ensure soya solvent plants are working at full capacity. “The government needs to provide some kind of incentive for export in soya DOC so that plants start working at full capacity,” he added.
Since a month now, the government has specified a stock limit for edible oils. It is 30 quintals for retailers, 500 quintals for wholesalers, 30 quintals for retail outlets of bulk consumers, i.e., big chain retailers and shops and 1,000 quintals for its depots. Processors of edible oils would be able to stock 90 days of their storage capacities.
For edible oilseeds, the stock limit is 100 quintals for retailers, 2,000 quintals for wholesalers. Processors of edible oilseeds would be able to stock 90 days production of edible oils as per daily input production capacity. Exporters and importers have been kept outside the purview of this Order with some caveats, the Ministry said.
With a view to keep prices in check and also check the rise in prices of domestic edible oils due globally hike, the Centre had reduced the agri-cess for Crude Palm Oil (CPO) from 7.5 per cent to 5 per cent with effect from February 12.
The second Advance Estimates released on February 16 have, for oilseeds, have estimated Rapeseed and Mustard production at 11.46 MT. Earlier in November, 2021 too, the Department of Food & Public Distribution had said that to control prices of edible oils the government had rationalised import duties on palm oil, sunflower oil and soybean oil, futures trading in mustard oil on NCDEX was suspended and stock limits were imposed too.
Naveen Shekharappa Gyanagoudar, a 21-year-old student from Karnataka at the Kharkiv National Medical University, was killed on Tuesday….reports Asian Lite News
Ukraine on Wednesday expressed its sympathies over the death of an Indian student killed in Kharkiv during the Russian shelling of the city on Tuesday.
Ukraine’s Permanent Representative to UN, Sergiy Kyslytsya, said at the General Assembly Emergency Session, “Ukraine regrets that a student from India became an example of this challenge by the Russian armed forces and we offer our deepest sympathies to India and the relatives of the student.
“The Ukrainian and foreign citizens have become hostages of the Russian armed aggression against Ukraine.”
Iran, Guinea, Vanuatu resume voting rights in UNGA
Naveen Shekharappa Gyanagoudar, a 21-year-old student from Karnataka at the Kharkiv National Medical University, was killed on Tuesday.
There were an estimated 18,000 Indian students in Ukraine and some have gone to Hungary, Poland, Romania and Moldova.
Several thousand Indian citizens have been evacuated from those countries to India under “Operation Ganga” launched by the Indian government.
Russia’s Permanent Representative Vasily Nebenza, however, denied that Russian forces were shelling civilian areas.
Belarus’ Permanent Representative alleged that 100 Indian students who tried to enter Poland were beaten by that country’s security forces and sent back.
The reports indicated that the Kremlin may be preparing an informational operation or action to return former President Yanukovych to Ukraine…reports Asian Lite News
Fugitive former Ukraine President Viktor Yanukovych is currently in Minsk, and the Kremlin is currently preparing him for a special operation, according to Ukrainian intelligence.
According to one scenario, the Kremlin will try to declare him the “President of Ukraine” there, Ukrainska Pravda reported.
The information obtained indicated that the Kremlin may be preparing an informational operation or action to return former President Yanukovych to Ukraine or to publish an appeal on his behalf to the Ukrainian people in the near future, the report added.
There are reports emerging that the Russian forces have been shelling Mariupol with various weapons continuously for 12 hours.
Russian President Vladimir Putin.(Photo@KremlinRussia_ETwitter)
Vadym Boichenko, Mayor of Mariupol, on the unified TV and radio broadcast of the Ukrainian media said, “We have been flattened non-stop for 12 hours. The racist-fascist troops are razing my hometown to the ground.”
According to Boichenko, there has been total destruction of residential infrastructure.
There are dead and wounded, but they cannot be taken from the streets, houses and apartments due to the ongoing shelling, Ukrainska Pravda reported.
At the same time, the mayor thanked the Armed Forces, the National Guard and all defenders of the city who are holding their ground.
For India, the price range is a cause of concern as it may add Rs 8 to Rs 10 in petrol and diesel selling prices, if the OMCs decide to revise the current prices…reports Asian Lite News
Concerns over lower supply amid escalating Russia-Ukraine conflict pushed up global crude oil prices to $102 per barrel on Tuesday.
The rise in crude oil prices comes after negotiations failed to resolve the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. The Brent-indexed crude oil prices had risen by 5 per cent to over $98 per barrel on Monday.
Russia is the third largest producer of crude oil in the world. It is feared that sanctions against Russia will start to curtail global supplies and stifle growth.
On last Friday, a rise in the US oil inventories along with assurance of energy supply from Russia had doused international crude oil prices. Consequently, the price on last Friday came down to $95 per barrel after the Russia-Ukraine war pushed Brent Crude Oil prices to $105 per barrel.
For India, the price range is a cause of concern as it may add Rs 8 to Rs 10 in petrol and diesel selling prices, if the OMCs decide to revise the current prices.
The cascading effect of higher fuel cost will trigger a general inflationary trend. “Crude oil prices rallied on Tuesday with ICE Brent oil surging more than 4 per cent, above $102 per barrel,” said Tapan Patel, Senior Analyst (Commodities), HDFC Securities.
“Crude oil prices resume rally on concerns over lower supply amid failed talks between Russia and Ukraine.”
According to IIFL Securities VP, Research, Anuj Gupta: “Crude oil is trading higher due to escalating geopolitical tension… We are expecting that crude oil may test $105 to $108 levels soon.”
