Russian armored vehicles loaded onto railway platforms in the Rostov-on-Don area near the Russia-Ukraine border, February 23, 2022 (AP)


For Ukraine’s Women Refugees, Surviving Rape and Facing Poland’s Anti-Abortion Laws

Wednesday’s Coverage: Putin Gives Up on His Invasion’s “Plan A”


UPDATE 1640 GMT:

In his third appearance today before a national parliament, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky asked Belgian legislators — as he did with their Australian and Dutch counterparts — to help with weapons and sanctions.

He also asked the Belgians to support Ukraine’s membership of the European Union, “Maybe soon the future will pay you back.”

We need to know that Ukraine will be in the European Union because if we are, [Russia] will lose. But if we lose, if we lose Mariupol and other Ukrainian cities there will no longer be a strong European Union because tyranny will come and take away from you that which you have and you are proud of. This is not a threat, this is reality.

Zelenskiy said of the situation in besieged Mariupol:

More than 90% of all the buildings in the city have been completely destroyed by artillery, rocket attacks, and tanks from the Russian army. Thousands are hiding in the basements of multi-story buildings or whatever is left of them….

Today, this is the worst place in Europe. It is hell. It is a catastrophe there.


UPDATE 1630 GMT:

Speaking with Monique Camarra and me on our Euro-6 podcast, Vadym from Dnipro has said, “We now have info that a column of Russians have left the Chernobyl nuclear plant. It needs to be confirmed if they were digging trenches in the radioactive forest.”

Reports have claimed that Russian troops, suffering from radiation poisoning, have been taken to Belarus.


UPDATE 1555 GMT:

A “senior US defense official” has summarized that there have been more than 300 sorties by Russian warplanes in the last 24 hours, with concentrations in four areas: 1) Kyiv; 2) Chernihiv, 100 miles to the north; 3) Izyum, south of Kharkiv in northeast Ukraine; and 4) the Donbas region in the east.

The official stressed, “Kyiv is still very much under threat from airstrikes,” despite Russia’s pullback of ground forces.


UPDATE 1345 GMT:

A Russian checkpoint is holding up a convoy of 45 buses seeking to evacuate besieged civilians from Mariupol in southern Ukraine.

Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said the convoy was stopped in Vasylivka, soon after leaving Zaporizhzhia, 136 miles northwest of Mariupol.

Earlier today, it was incorrectly reported that 17 of the 45 buses had made it past the checkpoint and were en route to the besieged port city on the Sea of Azov (see 0805 GMT).


UPDATE 1340 GMT:

In yet another shift, Vladimir Putin has renewed his demand that foreign buyers pay in roubles for Russian gas from April 1, suspending contracts if his condition is not met.

Putin had told both German Chancellor Mario Draghi and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi on Wednesday (see 1325 GMT) that he was withdrawing the demand.

But in a news conference, Putin restated his ultimatum and blustered that Europe’s purchases of liquid natural gas from the US will lead to millions of job losses.

To purchase Russian natural gas, they must open rouble accounts in Russian banks. It is from these accounts that payments will be made for gas delivered starting from tomorrow.

If such payments are not made, we will consider this a default on the part of buyers, with all the ensuing consequences. Nobody sells us anything for free, and we are not going to do charity either – that is, existing contracts will be stopped.

At a joint press conference, German Economy Minister Robert Habeck and French finance minister Bruno Le Maire rejected Putin’s ultimatum, saying it is “blackmail”.

Habeck explained:

With regard to the threat, demand or consideration — one doesn’t know how to call it any more — to be made to pay in rouble, it is crucial for us that the contracts are respected. It is important for us not to give a signal that we will be blackmailed by Putin.

A spokesperson for the UK Government said that paying is roubles is “not something we will be looking to do”.

And Czech Industry Minister Jozef Síkela said:

Vladimir Putin has decided to further escalate economic war with Europe….We cannot help him with sidestepping anti-Russia sanctions in this way, on the contrary, we must demand valid contracts to be upheld.


UPDATE 1325 GMT:

Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi has confirmed the withdrawal of Vladimir Putin’s demand that European countries pay for gas in roubles, propping up the Russian currency.

Draghi said Putin told him by phone on Wednesday that current gas contracts remained in force.

The Russian leader made a similar statement to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Wednesday.

On Thursday, Putin decreed that a Russian bank, receiving gas payments in a special segregated account, should buy roubles with the foreign currencies.

Draghi reported that Putin put off any discussion of an end to his invasion:

I asked when or if a ceasefire is expected, and he said “the conditions are not mature”.

My conviction is that, to resolve certain crucial points for an agreement, there would need to be a meeting with Zelenskiy, who has practically been asking for this since the start of the war, and the response was that he thinks the time is immature.


UPDATE 1055 GMT:

The UK has added leading figures in Russia’s propaganda and disinformation campaign to its sanctions list.

Sergey Brilev, who oversees the Russia Today news channel; Aleksandr Zharov, chief executive of Gazprom-Media; Alexey Nikolov, the managing director of RT; and Anton Anisimov, the head of Sputnik International Broadcasting are named.

Col.-Gen. Mikhail Mizintsev, the commander of Russia’s attacks and siege of Mariupol, is also among the 14 additions to the sanctions list.


UPDATE 0915 GMT:

In his second appearance before a national parliament today, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has asked Dutch legislators for weapons, reconstruction assistance, and a halt to all business with Russia.

“Stronger sanctions are needed so that Russia doesn’t have a chance to pursue this war further in Europe,” Zelenskiy said. “Stop all trade with Russia.”


UPDATE 0815 GMT:

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has told the Australian Parliament by videolink:

We haven’t seen this in the world, for a country to start a war against a neighbouring country, openly declaring their enslavement or destruction. Not to leave even the name of that nation. Not to have even any opportunity for this nation to live freely.

Zelenskiy called for a firm line against Russia and its “nuclear blackmail”:

The most terrible thing, if we don’t stop Russia now, if we don’t hold Russia accountable, than some of the countries of the world that were looking forward to a similar war against their neighbors will decide that such things are possible for them as well. The fate of global security is decided now.

He requested Australia’s Bushmaster armoured vehicles, which would “do much more for our common freedom and security than staying parked on your land”, and other pieces of equipment.


UPDATE 0805 GMT:

The Ukraine Government has sent 45 buses in another attempt to evacuate civilians from besieged Mariupol.

Seventeen buses have left from Zaporizhzhia, about 220 km (136 miles) to the northwest of the port city. Another 28 are waiting for authorization to pass the Russian checkpoint in Vasylivka, near Zaporizhzhia.


UPDATE 0655 GMT:

The Russian rouble has rebounded to its pre-invasion level, propped up by Central Bank intervention.

The currency, which lost more than 30% of value on the first day of the invasion, is at 75.5:1 v. the US dollar on Thursday morning — compared with 140:1 at the beginning of March and 80:1 on February 22, two days before Vladimir Putin launched his war.

Moscow has raised interest rates to 20% from 9%. blocked Russians from trading roubles for foreign currencies, and ordered exporters to swap 80% of their foreign currency revenues for roubles. China and India have given some relief with purchases of heavily-discounted Russian oil.


UPDATE 0645 GMT:

Slovakia has joined the list of European countries expelling Russian personnel suspected of working for intelligence services.

Bratislava declared 35 Russian staff persona non grata.

Earlier this week Belgium announced 21 expulsions, and the Netherlands 17. Poland leads the list with the removal of 45 Russian staff.


ORIGINAL ENTRY: Having given up on the capture of Ukraine’s capital Kyiv, Russian forces are trying to renew their offensive in the east of the country.

In his late-night video address to the nation from Kyiv’s streets, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy noted the failure of Vladimir Putin’s “Plan A” — seizing the capital and toppling the Government — because of Ukrainian resistance. He then cautioned, “We also see that at the same time there is an accumulation of Russian troops for new strikes in Donbas. And we are preparing for this.”

The Russian military reiterated the Tuesday statement of Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin that Moscow had decided to “fundamentally cut back military activity in the direction of Kyiv and Chernihiv” to “increase mutual trust for future negotiations to agree and sign a peace deal with Ukraine”.

The military report asserted:

All the main tasks of the Russian Armed Forces in the Kyiv and Chernihiv [100 miles north of the capital] directions have been completed.

A planned regrouping of troops is taking place in these areas. Its goal is to intensify actions in priority areas and, above all, complete the operation to completely liberate Donbas.

Parts of the Donbass, in the Donetsk and Lugansk oblasts, have been held by Russian proxy groups since 2014. Despite overwhelming firepower, the Russian offensives have been unable to extend that control, except for the besieging of the port city of Mariupol on the Sea of Azov.

Having killed thousands of civilians with attacks and the month-long siege, Vladimir Putin rejected the approach of French President Emmanuel Macron for humanitarian aid to reach the remaining 160,000 people in the city.

The Russian Defense Ministry announced a local ceasefire on Thursday for evacuations, but Russian forces have repeatedly broken past pledges and shelled evacuees. The latest declaration followed confirmed that Russian forces twice shelled a Red Cross warehouse in the city.

Despite its announced pullback in northern Ukraine, Russia continued shelling early Wednesday, including on Chernihiv.

Chernihiv Mayor Vladyslav Atroshenko summarized the situation in the city, which has been besieged for weeks:

The night was just as we expected, that [everything Russia promised] is a lie from the beginning till the end, that’s why at night we had some serious shelling at night. And the Russians were trying to destroy all possible means of crossing Desna River towards Kyiv.

Regional Governor Viacheslav Chaus added, “The ‘decreased activity’ in the Chernihiv region was demonstrated by the enemy carrying out strikes on Nizhyn, including air strikes, and all night long they hit Chernihiv.”

Officials: Putin Misinformed About Extent of Russian Failure

A fifth set of Ukraine-Russia talks has been scheduled for Friday. However, Moscow poured cold water on Ukrainian proposals, with spokesperson Dmitry Peskov telling reporters that Moscow has not seen anything promising, much less a breakthrough.

Zelenskiy said, “Yes, there is an ongoing negotiation process. But these are still words. So far no specifics.”

The Ukrainian draft text includes a non-aligned status, but with closer military relations with other countries through a security guarantee; no Russian objection to Kyiv’s accession to the European Union; and a 15-year consultation period over the status of Crimea, occupied by the Russians in 2014.

US, UK, and European officials assess that Putin is misinformed about Russian military failures because advisers are too frightened to tell him the truth.

The head of the UK intelligence agency GCHQ, Jeremy Fleming, said in a speech in Australia that Putin had misjudged the strength of Ukrainian resistance and the Western response and thus the ability of the Russian military to complete his Plan A.

We’ve seen Russian soldiers short of weapons and morale — refusing to carry out orders, sabotaging their own equipment and even accidentally shooting down their own aircraft.

A “senior EU diplomat” assessed, “Putin thought things were going better than they were. That’s the problem with surrounding yourself with ‘yes men’ or only sitting with them at the end of a very long table.”

Another said, “They were misled, badly trained and then arrived to find old Ukrainian women who looked like their grandmothers yelling at them to go home.”

Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby echoed, “The fact that he may not fully understand the degree to which his forces are failing in Ukraine, that’s a little discomforting.”