This will enable them to continue their lives for the time being.
Overnight, refugees began queuing at Warsaw’s National Stadium to obtain their PESEL identification cards. These cards will allow them to live, work, attend school, and receive social benefits for the next 18-months. Many were still told to return the next day by mid-morning. Despite the fact that the process was simplified by Polish authorities, there was still a lot of demand.
Kateryna Lohvyn (30 years old) said, “We are looking to find a job now.” She was standing with her mother and added that it took some time for the shock from the Russian invasion to subside.
She added, “We don’t know yet (what to do),” “But, we are grateful to the Poles. They are so welcoming.”
Maryna Liashuk stated that she feels at home in Poland thanks to the warm welcome. Liashuk stated that she would prefer to remain permanently in Poland with her family if the situation gets worse.
RUSSIA-UKRAINE WORLD WAR:
Ukraine’s leader warns Russia that war will ruin Russia for future generations
Putin can continue to pound Ukraine for months, even if Russia is not granted an easy victory
Putin rallies behind Russian troops as lethal shelling rains on Ukraine
Ukraine’s cultural capital has found that it is not far from war
Minister: It will take many years to clear the live ordinance scattered throughout Ukraine. Outside help is needed.
— Go to https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine for more coverage
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WARSAW — On Saturday, a bipartisan delegation of U.S. legislators visited Poland and stated that Ukraine needs to be supported in all ways that will allow it to defend its independence.
Representative Stephen Lynch, a Democrat of Massachusetts, led the seven-member delegation that visited eastern Poland’s reception centers for refugees fleeing Ukraine. They were impressed by Poland’s willingness to accept refugees from Ukraine in their homes. Since February 24, when Russia invaded Ukraine, more than 2 million people fled war and have arrived in Poland.
“We are here for the people of Ukraine to support and reassure them.” Lynch, chairman of the Subcommittee on National Security within the Committee on Oversight and Reform, stated that they are here to express gratitude to the Polish people for their incredible generosity to refugees.
The American lawmakers spoke out during an online meeting with media representatives Saturday to stress the urgent need for Ukraine’s military support in fighting against Russian forces. They stated that there are no peace talks if there is “hot war.”
Lynch stated that “the most urgent action we can take is make sure that Ukrainian fighters, those valiant patriots fighting for their freedom, have every bit equipment, every piece of supply, and every bit support that they can receive,” Lynch added.
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ROME — Pope Francis visited some of the children from Ukraine who fled the Russian invasion. They are currently being treated in Rome at the Vatican’s pediatric clinic.
According to the Vatican, 19 Ukrainian refugees are currently being cared for at the Bambino Gesu Hospital. Over 50 others have also been admitted in recent weeks.
Many were already suffering from neurological, oncological and other issues before the war. They fled in the early days. Others are receiving treatment for injuries sustained in the aftermath of the invasion.
According to the Vatican, Francis traveled the short distance uphill to the hospital Saturday afternoon. Before returning to the Vatican, he met all the young patients in their respective rooms.
Francis spoke out about the “barbarity”, and particularly the deaths and injuries it has caused to the children of Ukraine.
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LONDON — Boris Johnson, the British Prime Minister, says Russia’s invasion in Ukraine is a “turning-point for the world”, arguing that victory for President Vladimir Putin would usher in a “new age of intimidation.”
Johnson spoke at a Conservative Party conference Saturday and claimed that Putin was “terrified” that the example of a free Ukraine would ignite a pro-democracy Revolution in Russia.
He stated that “a victorious Putin would not stop in Ukraine” and that the end of freedom there will be no hope for freedom in Georgia or Moldova. It will also mean the end to any hope of freedom and freedom in Moldova and Georgia. It will also mean the start of an age of intimidation in eastern Europe, from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea.
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BERLIN — Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian President, has asked the Swiss government for a freeze on all Russian oligarchs’ bank accounts.
SRF, the Swiss public broadcaster, reported that Zelenskyy spoke livestreamed on Saturday to thousands in Bern against war protesters. He said, “in your bank are the funds of those who unleashed the war.” This must be stopped. Their funds should be frozen. (…) It would make sense to remove these privileges.
Zelenskyy can be seen sitting behind a computer at a desk in a camouflage shirt and a short-sleeved camouflage top. His speech was transliterated into German. Great applause broke out when he demanded the blocking of accounts by oligarchs.
SRF reported that the Ukrainian president also criticized Nestle, a Swiss multinational food conglomerate, for criticizing Russia’s Russian President. Nestle has decided to stay in Russia, unlike many international companies.
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BEIJING — The Chinese diplomat claims NATO should keep to the promise not to expand eastward.
Le Yucheng, the Chinese Vice Foreign Minister, criticized the Western sanctions placed on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine. He also stated that the root cause for the conflict in Ukraine was “the Cold War mentality” and “power politics.”
The Chinese envoy echoed a Kremlin talking point and said that if NATO’s “enlargement continues”, it would be near the “outskirts of Moscow” where a missile could strike the Kremlin in seven to eight minutes.
He said, “Pushing a country to the corner, especially a nuclear-power nation, would entail repercussions that are too terrible to contemplate.”
He was open to the repeated position of Russian President Vladimir Putin and said that NATO should have been disintegrated and “been consigned history alongside the Warsaw Pact.”
He said that NATO had not broken up but instead strengthened and expanded, and intervened militarily to save Yugoslavia and other countries such as Syria, Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan. One could foresee the consequences of this course. “The Ukraine crisis is a warning sign.”
According to him, the Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Joe Biden Friday and urged both sides in Ukraine to show “political will” and continue the dialogue and negotiations. NATO and the U.S. should have dialogue with Russia in order to resolve the Ukraine crisis and reduce security concerns for both Russia and Ukraine.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke on the phone to Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel. This is the second conversation between the two leaders this week.
The Kremlin readout of the conversation shows that Putin “outlined fundamental assessments about the course of talks between Russian and Ukrainian representatives,” while Bettel told him about “contacts to the leadership of Ukraine” and “other countries.”
Putin stated that the “incessant missile attacks by Ukrainian forces against Donetsk” and “other cities” of self-proclaimed separatist Donetsk, Luhansk republics within eastern Ukraine are “leading too many civilian casualties.”
Bettel also tweeted Saturday about the call with Putin. He stated that the situation on the ground had worsened since their last call earlier in the week, particularly in Mariupol.
Bettel said that the images reaching us (from Mariupol), are unacceptable. The goal must remain de-escalation and adoption of ceasefires & continued negotiation.
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KVIV (Ukraine) — Police in the Kyiv region say seven people were killed and five others were injured in Friday’s mortar attack on Makariv. Makariv is a small town located 50 km (31 miles west) of Kyiv, Ukraine.
In a Facebook post, the Kyiv regional police stated that the attack had resulted in the destruction of residential homes and damage to administrative and other buildings. According to the statement, those who were injured have been admitted to hospital.
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WARSAW (Poland) — Poland’s Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki reiterated his call for the European Union executive body to stop all trade with Russia and force Moscow into ending the war in Ukraine.
Saturday’s speech was made by Morawiecki at Telesystem-Mesko, a Lubiczow armaments manufacturer that makes anti-aircraft homing components that Poland has made available for Ukraine. This is in response to Russia’s military invasion.
Morawiecki stated that a blockade at sea ports, a ban of entry by Russian ships with Russian cargo into sea ports under Russian flags, and a ban trade by land should be added to the sanctions against Russia.
He stated that cutting Russia off from sea and land commerce with the 27-nation EU would force Russia to reconsider “Maybe it’s best for Russia to stop this horrible war.”
Morawiecki stated that he would appeal to the European Commission, which is the EU’s executive organ.
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LVIV (Ukraine) — A Ukrainian military officer has confirmed to a local media outlet that Russian forces launched a missile strike on Friday against a missile and ammunition storage facility in the Delyatyn settlement in the Ivano-Frankivsk area in western Ukraine.
Yurii Ihnat, a spokesperson for the Ukraine’s Air Forces, told the Ukrainskaya Pravda newspaper that the Russians used a Kinzhal missile. This is the latest hypersonic missile from the country.
Igor Konashenkov of Russia’s Defense Ministry stated that the Russian military struck the underground Delyatyn warehouse on Friday using the hypersonic Kinzhal rocket in its first combat use. Russian officials claim that the Kinzhal is carried by MiG-31 fighter planes and has a range up to 2,000 km (about 1,250 miles). It flies at 10x the speed of sound.
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LVIV (Ukraine) — Russian forces fired on eight villages and cities in the eastern Donetsk area over the past 24 hours using heavy artillery, rockets, and aviation.
Telegram Saturday from Ukraine’s National Police stated that at least 37 residences and infrastructure facilities had been damaged, and that dozens of civilians have been injured or killed by the attack. According to the report, the Russian military was shooting at Mariupol and Avdiivka as well as Pokrovsk and Novoselydivka.
According to the statement, “Russia destroyed civilian objects such as multi-story and private homes, schools, kindergartens, shopping centers, and administrative buildings.”
On Saturday, Russian fire also hit the Ukrainian capital’s northwestern suburbs — Bucha and Hostomel, Irpin, and Moshchun. According to the Kyiv regional administration, the city of Slavutich was north of the capital and was “completely isolated”. Russian military equipment was also spotted northeastern and east of Kyiv.
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LVIV (Ukraine) — A Ukrainian prosecutor general has accused Russian security forces and military forces of kidnapping a journalist covering the Russian offensive in Ukraine’s east and south.
The Prosecutor General’s Office posted a Facebook statement Saturday claiming that the Russian Federal Security Service (or the FSB) and the Russian military kidnapped the journalist from Ukraine’s news outlet Hromadske Tuesday in Berdyansk. Berdyansk is an occupied port in the southeastern Zaporizhzhia area.
Although the statement did not identify the journalist, it stated that his whereabouts were unknown at the moment and that a criminal investigation had been initiated.
Hromadske tweeted Friday that they lost contact last week with Victoria Roshchyna.
“As witnesses told us, the journalist was at the Berdyansk temporarily occupied at the time. We learned on March 16 that Victoria Roshchyna, who was probably in Berdyansk the day before, had been detained by Russian FSB. The outlet tweeted that at the moment, they don’t know where she is.
The Russian military and the FSB have not yet commented on these allegations.
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BEIJING — China’s vice foreign minister reaffirmed NATO’s involvement in the war in Ukraine, and criticised sanctions against Russia during a speech he delivered to a conference in Beijing on Saturday.
Le Yucheng stated that NATO was a “Cold War vestige” of the Cold War and that it could have “repercussions too terrible to contemplate” from Russia.
After Xi Jinping, the Chinese leader and the U.S. president, had a conversation on Friday about the war.
China has blamed the U.S. security bloc for bringing about the crisis between Russia and Ukraine. Le also criticized the economic sanctions on Russia.
Le stated that “Sanctions against Russia have now gone to such an extent that globalization has been used as a weapon. Even people from the arts, sports, and entertainment communities are not spared.”
China’s government attempted to distance itself from Russia’s offensive but avoided the criticisms many other countries have levelled at Moscow and continues to refrain from calling it an invasion by Russia of Ukraine.
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LONDON — David Cameron, former Prime Minister of Britain, is driving a truckload full of supplies to Ukraine for refugees.
Cameron, who was the leader of the U.K. from 2010 to 2016, tweeted a picture of him behind the wheel of a truck with the hashtag #standwithukraine It was carrying everything from nappies (diapers), sanitary products, warm clothing and first-aid kits,” he said.
Chippy Larder organizes the trip, which is a food bank in Cameron’s hometown of Chipping Norton in south England.
Cameron tweeted a Saturday video from his truck, which he said was taken as it drove. He also stated that he and two of his colleagues would be heading to Poland to deliver supplies to the Red Cross.
Cameron demanded that Ukraine receive more humanitarian aid earlier this week. After it had been reduced to 0.5% in the coronavirus pandemic, Cameron said that Britain should restore 0.7% of its international aid budget.
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LONDON — Britain’s foreign secretary accused Russian President Vladimir Putin, accusing him of using talks with Ukraine to cover up his violence.
Liz Truss stated to the Times of London that she was skeptical about Russia’s seriousness regarding the talks. She accused Russian forces of trying create space for them to regroup and break down their stalled campaign.
She stated that she didn’t expect any Russian troops to be withdrawn or serious proposals to be made, and suggested that Russia would resort “worse” violence if its military campaign fails.
Lt. Gen. Jim Hockenhull is the head of Britain’s defense intelligence service. He says that Russian forces have now adopted a strategy of attrition after failing to seize major cities in Ukraine during the three-week invasion.
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BERLIN — Germany’s Federal Police has registered over 200,000 Ukrainian refugees in Germany since the outbreak of war three weeks ago.
According to the country’s interior ministry, 207 747 Ukrainian refugees arrived in Germany as of Saturday. But, it is likely that the actual number of Ukrainian refugees living in Germany will be higher.
Ukrainians do not need visas to enter Germany. Federal police register only refugees who arrive in Germany by bus or train. Ukrainians who arrive in Germany from Poland via the European Union’s borders are usually not registered. If they request financial assistance from the German authorities, those who live with their family or friends in Germany are not included.
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SOFIA (Bulgaria) — While Kiril Petkov, the Prime Minister of Bulgaria, has decided not to provide military assistance to Ukraine, he said that his country, which is a NATO ally will continue to provide humanitarian aid.
“Being so close the conflict, I have to tell you that we won’t be able to send any military assistance to Ukraine at this time. “This will not be possible,” Petkov stated Saturday during a press conference in the capital of Bulgaria with Lloyd Austin, U.S. Defense secretary.
Bulgaria, which is not bordering Ukraine, but has hosted thousands of refugees, has offered to host a new contingent NATO troops as part the alliance’s push for its eastern flank. The contingent comprises approximately 150 U.S. Army infantry troops.
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LVIV (Ukraine) — Oleksandr Starukh, Zaporizhzhia region governor, has declared a 38-hour curfew for the city of Zaporizhzhia in southeastern Ukraine. It will last from 4 p.m. Saturday to 6 a.m. Monday.
Starukh stated on Telegram Saturday that “for your safety, don’t go out in the streets or other public places during these times.”
A pair of missile strikes in Zaporizhzhia suburbs killed nine people, injured 17 others, and left five other victims with injuries, according to Ivan Arefiev, the Zaporizhzhia regional administrator.
He said that local authorities continue to evacuate residents from Russian-occupied settlements and provide humanitarian aid.
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LVIV (Ukraine) — Saturday’s announcement by Iryna Vereshchuk, Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minster, that 10 humanitarian corridors had been established with the Russians.
They include a corridor that runs from Mariupol to the southern port city, as well as several in the Kyiv and Luhansk regions.
She also announced her plans to deliver humanitarian assistance to Kherson, currently under the control of Russian forces.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian President, stated that Russian forces have been blocking the biggest cities in the hope of making it difficult for Ukrainians to cooperate. According to him, the Russians blockade cities in central and southeast Ukraine and prevent food and other supplies from reaching them.
On Friday, satellite images from Maxar Technologies showed that a long line formed of cars leaving Mariupol to assist people fleeing. Zelenskyy stated that more than 9,000 people had been able to evacuate the city within the last day.
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According to the Russian military, it used its most powerful hypersonic missile, a Kinzhal for combat in its offensive in Ukraine.
Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov, a spokesperson for Russia’s Defense Ministry, stated that the missiles decimated an underground storage facility containing missiles and ammunition belonging to Ukrainian troops in western Ivano-Frankivsk.
Konashenkov said that Russian forces used the antiship missile system Bastion against Ukrainian military installations near Odesa, a Black Sea port. The weapon was first used by Russia in its 2016 military campaign in Syria.
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OSLO, Norway — Four U.S. military personnel were killed in a plane accident during NATO drills.
Jonas Gahr Store posted that service members were taking part in NATO’s exercise “Cold Response” in northern Norway. He said: “Our deepest sympathies to the soldiers’ families and relatives as well as their fellow soldiers in the unit.”
The annual drills held in Norway have nothing to do with the war in Ukraine. They included approximately 30,000 troops, 220 planes and 50 vessels from 27 different countries. Non-NATO member Finland and Sweden also participate. The exercises started on March 14th and ended on April 1.
According to Norwegian police, the American V-22B Osprey plane that crashed into the sea was owned by the U.S. Marine Corps.
It was accompanied by a crew consisting of four people and was on a training mission in Nordland County. It was heading north towards Bodo and was due to land there just before 6 p.m. on Friday.
The plane crashed south of Bodo in Gratadalen in Beiarn. Police stated that a search and rescue operation was immediately launched. The police arrived at the scene and confirmed the death of the four-member crew at 1:30 am Saturday morning.
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LVIV (Ukraine) — Since the Russian invasion, 112 children have been killed in Ukraine.
According to the office, more than 140 children were injured since February 24, according to their records.
According to U.N. children agency, Ukraine has seen 1.5 million refugees. Many families fled to Poland and Hungary, Slovakia, Moldova, Romania, and other countries.
UNICEF warns that women and girls who travel alone are particularly at risk for gender-based violence.
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LVIV (Ukraine) — The besieged south port city of Mariupol is under siege by Ukrainian and Russian forces. They are fighting for Azovstal’s steel plant. It is one of the largest in Europe, according to Vadym Denysenko who was a consultant to Ukraine’s interior ministry.
“Now, there is a fight to Azovstal. … I can tell you that we have lost the economic giant. Denysenko stated that one of Europe’s largest metallurgical plants is being demolished.
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LVIV (Ukraine) — Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian President, claims that Russia is blocking Ukraine’s biggest cities in order to create a “humanitarian disaster” and to persuade Ukrainians to cooperate.
He claims that Russia is preventing food and other supplies reaching the surrounded cities of the southeast and center of the country.
“This is a completely deliberate tactic,” Zelenskyy stated in his nighttime address to the nation. He was filmed outside Kyiv with the presidential office behind him in the lamplight.
He stated that more than 9,000 people had been able leave Mariupol, the southern city under siege, in the last day. In total, more than 180,000 people were able flee to safety via humanitarian corridors.
He appealed again to Russian President Vladimir Putin for direct talks. He said, “It’s the right time to meet, it’s time for us to talk.” “I want everyone to hear me, especially in Moscow.”
He pointed out that the 200,000 Russians who gathered at a Moscow stadium to wave flags on Friday were about the same number as the Russian troops that had been sent into Ukraine three week ago.
Zelenskyy asked his audience to imagine the stadium full of thousands of Russians who were injured, killed or maimed during the fighting.
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NEW YORK — Three Russian cosmonauts arrived at the International Space Station in flight suits made of yellow and blue, which match the Ukrainian flag. These men are the first to arrive on the station since the Russian war in Ukraine began last month.
One of the cosmonauts was seen in a blue flight suit as the capsule prepared for docking with the space station. It is not clear what message, if any the yellow uniforms they switched into was intended to convey.
Oleg Artemyev was questioned about yellow flight suits by newly arrived cosmonauts who were able talk to their family back home. He explained that each crew picks its own suit, so they aren’t all the same.
“It was our turn to choose a color. We had actually accumulated yellow material and needed to use it. He explained that yellow was why we needed to wear it.
Sergey Korsakov, Denis Matveyev, and Artemyev successfully launched from Kazakhstan’s Baikonur launch site in Russia in their Soyuz MS-21 spacecraft. This was at 8:55 p.m. on Friday (11:55 AM EDT). Just three hours later they arrived at the station and joined four Americans, two Russians, and one German astronaut.