As Russia continues to wage war against Ukraine for the eighth day, Ukrainian officials on Thursday, 3 March, a member of Ukraine’s delegation in talks with Russia said that both parties have reached a tentative agreement to organise safe corridors for civilians to evacuate and for humanitarian supplies to be delivered.
Earlier in the day, Ukraine confirmed that Russia had captured the southern city of Kherson.
At least 22 people have died after Russian forces struck the northern Ukrainian city of Chernihiv, news agency AP reported.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with United States (US) President Joe Biden and prime ministers of Australia and Japan interacted over the situation in Ukraine in a virtual meeting of the Quad.
On Thursday morning, four loud explosions were heard in the capital city of Kyiv, with an air raid alert urging citizens to take shelter. This comes a day after the city of Kharkiv suffered heavy bombardment on Wednesday, in which at least 21 people were killed.
The Russian defence ministry alleged that Ukrainian forces were keeping a large group of Indian students as 'hostages' in Kharkiv. The MEA, however, said that it had not received information on any hostage situation
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed that almost 6,000 Russians were killed over the past six days of the war
Joe Biden announced that the US would be closing its airspace to Russian planes
The UN said on Wednesday that it had recorded nearly 230 civilian deaths in Ukraine, including 15 children, warning that the actual count was likely to be far higher
A column of Russian logistic and combat vehicles, estimated to be 64 km long, continues to make its way to the capital city of Kyiv
The UN General Assembly has approved a resolution demanding Russia to withdraw from Ukrainian territory; India abstained from voting against Russia
Russian Military Has Offered Safe Corridors to Civilians: Putin
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that the Russian military has offered safe corridors to civilians to allow them to leave areas of fighting in Ukraine, reported AP.
Putin, speaking in a video call with members of his Security Council, alleged that Ukrainian nationalist groups are preventing civilians from leaving.
The Russian leader claimed the groups were also using civilians as shields, taking up firing positions to provoke the Russian retaliatory fire.
Ukraine, Russia Agree to Create Safe Corridors
A member of Ukraine’s delegation in talks with Russia on Thursday said that the parties have reached a tentative agreement to organise safe corridors for civilians to evacuate and for humanitarian supplies to be delivered, reported AP.
Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy who took part in Thursday’s talks in Belarus near the Polish border, said that Russia and Ukraine reached a preliminary understanding that cease-fires will be observed in areas where the safe corridors are established.
PM Modi Promotes Path of Diplomacy, Urges Adherence to UN Charter at Quad Summit
A statement by the Prime Minister's on the Quad summit stated that the meeting "reviewed the progress on Quad initiatives since the September 2021 Quad Summit", the leaders "agreed on accelerating cooperation, with an objective to achieve concrete outcomes by the summit in Japan later this year."
On the Ukraine crisis, the statement indicated that PM Modi "emphasised need to return to a path of dialogue and diplomacy", and "reiterated importance of adhering to the UN Charter, respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity."
Quad leaders also discussed other issues, including developments in ASEAN, Indian Ocean region and Pacific Islands.
Further, as per the PMO statement, Modi underlined that Quad must remain focused on its objective of promoting peace and prosperity in Indo-Pacific region, and called for concrete forms of cooperation within Quad.
Ukraine Demands Immediate Ceasefire, Humanitarian Corridors for Evacuations
Ukrainian negotiators, during talks with their Russian counterparts, demanded an immediate ceasefire, armistice and humanitarian corridors to evacuate stranded civilians from conflict-ridden villages and cities, Reuters reported Ukrainian presidential adviser Mikhailo Podolyak as saying.