Ukraine: Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine has said 18 people including 2 children were killed after Russia allegedly dropped 500-kg bombs on residential buildings in Sumy city. In Sumy and Okhtyrka, to the east of Kyiv near the Russian border, bombs fell on residential buildings and destroyed a power plant, regional leader Dmytro Zhivitsky said. He said there were dead and wounded. Bombs also hit oil depots in Zhytomyr and the neighbouring town of Cherniakhiv.
Guardian reports that Russian forces are shelling an evacuation route out of the besieged city of Mariupol. Ukrainian foreign ministry spokesperson Oleg Nikolenko said Russian forces were attacking the humanitarian corridor between the city and Zaporizhzhia, 225km (139 miles) to the northeast. 08 trucks and 30 buses are on their way to deliver humanitarian aid to the city and to evacuate civilians to Zaporizhzhia, he said.
Civilians have been living there without running water or power for almost a week and food is running out. Ukraine’s Foreign Affairs Minister in a tweet wrote: “Russia holds 300k civilians hostage in Mariupol, prevents humanitarian evacuation despite agreements with ICRC mediation. One child died of dehydration yesterday! War crimes are part of Russia’s deliberate strategy. I urge all states to publicly demand: RUSSIA, LET PEOPLE GO!”
The Russia-Ukraine war has so far forced more than 17 lakh people to take refuge in neighbouring countries. Poland has accepted more than 10 lakh refugees from Ukraine. The UNHCR estimated that millions of more lives will be uprooted if the conflict doesn’t end immediately. Japanese payment system JCB has suspended operations in Russia. The cards already issued in Russia will not be available (for use) abroad from March 14 Apple has disabled its spring presentation for Russians on its official website and YouTube channel.