- The humanitarian situation in Mariupol continued to deteriorate as the United Nations cited reports of “looting and violent confrontation” of resources and satellite images showing extensive damage.
- The deputy prime minister said about 13,000 Ukrainians were evacuated from the cities on Saturday, but no one was able to leave Mariupol.
- Fighting intensified northwest of Kyiv, with most of Russia’s ground forces 25 kilometers (16 mi) from the center of the Ukrainian capital.
- The United States said it would provide an additional $200 million in small arms, anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons to Ukraine.
- Russia says its military can target supply Western weapons in Ukraine.
Here are the latest updates:
Ukraine says Russia plans to take control of Zaporizhzhya nuclear plant: IAEA
The United Nations nuclear watchdog said Ukraine told it Russia was planning to take full and permanent control of the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant, Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, but Russia later denied this.
The Executive Chairman of Ukraine’s Energoatom nuclear power plant, Petro Kotin, said in a letter to the Director-General that about 400 Russian troops were ‘available,’ said the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said. on-site full-time’ (in Zaporizhzhya). said in a statement.
The IAEA said Ukraine’s regulator had also informed it that efforts to repair damaged power lines at the Chernobyl nuclear plant were continuing and that diesel generators were providing backup power to the plant. related systems to ensure safety.
The President of Ukraine said he spoke with the Prime Minister of Israel, discussing prospects for peace talks
President Zelenskyy said he spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and discussed the prospect of peaceful negotiations to end the conflict with Russia.
Zelenskyy made the announcement in a tweet and also said he had asked Bennett for help in freeing the mayor of Melitopol, who Ukraine says has been kidnapped by Russian forces.
Continue dialogue with PM @naftalibennett. We talked about Russian aggression and the prospects for peace talks. We must stop oppressing civilians: asked to assist in the release of the imprisoned mayor of Melitopol and local public figures #StopRussia
– олодимир (@ZelenskyyUa) March 12, 2022
About 13,000 Ukrainians evacuated from cities on Saturday, Deputy Prime Minister said
About 13,000 people were evacuated from several Ukrainian cities on Saturday, nearly double the number who managed to get out the day before, Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said.
Vereshchuk said in an online message that no one was able to leave the besieged city of Mariupol, and blamed the obstruction of Russian forces. Moscow has previously accused Ukrainian forces of deliberately trapping people there.
The Orthodox clergy of Amsterdam split from the Patriarch of Moscow
The clerics of the Russian Orthodox Church in the Dutch city of Amsterdam have announced that they will separate from the Moscow church because of threats to them about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
In a statement posted on its website, it said that after the meeting “the clergy unanimously declared that they could no longer function in the Moscow Patriarchate and provide a mentally safe environment.” god for our believers.”
They said that “with a heavy heart”, the four priests of Saint Nicholas of Myra in Amsterdam came to their decision.
Sweden officially rejects Russia’s NATO warning
Sweden’s foreign minister has dismissed new warnings from Russia that the Nordic country’s accession to NATO will lead to retaliatory measures from Moscow.
Foreign Minister Ann Linde told Swedish news agency TT “Russia has nothing to do with our independent decisions”, hinting that Stockholm could join NATO.
Russia’s Interfax news agency on Saturday quoted a Russian Foreign Ministry official as saying that the possibility of Sweden and neighboring Finland joining NATO would have serious political and military consequences.
Satellite images show fire, severe damage to residential buildings in Mariupol
Satellite images taken Saturday morning show damaged civilian infrastructure and residential buildings across the southern Ukrainian city of Mariupol, a private US company said.
Maxar Technologies said fires were seen in the western part of the Black Sea port city and dozens of high-rise apartment buildings were severely damaged. The images cannot be independently verified.
Mariupol is facing what Ukraine says is a “humanitarian disaster”, with more than 1,500 civilians killed in 12 days.
A top Russian officer described the country’s situation in similarly scathing language.
“Unfortunately, the humanitarian situation in Ukraine continues to deteriorate rapidly and in some cities it has reached catastrophic levels,” said Mikhail Mizintsev, head of the Russian National Center for Defense Control. .
The United Nations cited reports of “looting and violent confrontation” among civilians with few available resources.
Military maneuvers in the Russo-Ukrainian war: March 12, 2022
Kyiv is prepared for a Russia’s all-out offensive as fighting intensified on the outskirts of the Ukrainian capital.
Air raid sirens sounded in most regions of Ukraine on Saturday. The cities of Kharkiv, Chernihiv, Sumy and Mariupol remain besieged and are under intense Russian shelling.
Meanwhile, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Moscow would treat Western arms shipments to Ukraine as legitimate military target.
Here are the main military developments on Saturday – the 17th of Russia Invades Ukraine.
The US has rushed to send weapons worth $200 million to Ukraine
The United States says it will provide an additional $200 million in small arms, anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons to Ukraine, as Ukrainian officials plead for more equipment to defend against heavy shelling by Russian forces. .
US President Joe Biden on Saturday authorized additional security assistance, paving the way for the “immediate” shipment of new military equipment to Ukraine, the White House said. know.
Biden’s decision raises the total amount of US security aid provided to Ukraine to $1.2 billion as of January 2021 and to $3.2 billion since 2014, when Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimea region, according to senior government officials.
Welcome to Al Jazeera’s ongoing coverage of the Ukraine-Russia crisis.
Read all updates from Saturday, March 12, this.
