A man stands atop a Russian tank and flies the Ukrainian flag, defying the Russian occupation of Kherson in southern Ukraine — the city was liberated by Ukraine’s forces in November

Thursday’s Coverage: UN To Demand Russia’s Withdrawal

Map: Institute for the Study of War

UPDATE 1621 GMT:

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is holding a press conference to mark the anniversary of Russia’s invasion.

He called for a summit for China, India, Latin America, and Africa to join his 10-point peace plan.

He would attend the summit in person “even though it’s very difficult for me to leave Ukraine”.

Zelenskiy welcomed China’s position paper, with some points which were “understandable” and others with which he disagreed.

China has started talking about Ukraine, and that is not bad. The Chinese statement respects our territorial integrity.

He empasized that “compromise” is only possible when Russia stops “killing civilians, destroying infrastructure, and burning forests”.

Commenting on Russia’s war crimes, he said the mass killing of civilians in Bucha near Kyiv last March was the “most horrible” thing he has seen: “The devil is not at the bottom but is among us in this land.”

UPDATE 1534 GMT:

Canada has announced more than $32 million (US$23.45 million) for Ukraine’s security and stabilization.

The funds will support demining, accountability including the addressing of conflict-related sexual violence, and action against chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear threats.

UPDATE 1401 GMT:

Visiting Ukraine Prime Minister Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Kyiv, Poland’s Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has confirmed the despatch of four German-made Leopard heavy battle tanks to Ukraine.

At a joint press conference with Zelenskiy, Morawiecki announced that Poland will provide more Leopards — Warsaw has said it will be supplying 14 in total — and Soviet-made T-72s soon.

“Poland and Europe stand by your side. We will definitely not leave you, we will support Ukraine until complete victory over Russia,” he promised.

Zelenskiy wrote of the discussions about weapons, sanctions, and treatment of wounded Ukrainian soldiers, “Poland was with us even before the start of the full-scale war, was with us every minute of this year and, I am sure, will be with us until our victory. Our joint victory!”

UPDATE 1352 GMT:

Russian authorities have reportedly extended the State media ban on Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner Group mercenaries.

The ban was imposed in January as Prigozhin battled other Russian political and military leaders for influence. He has expanded the campaign in recent weeks with a series of videos against the “monstrous bureaucracy”, accusing it of “high treason”.

See also See also Ukraine War, Day 364: Wagner’s Prigozhin Accuses Russian Military Leaders of “Treason”

Independent outlet Verstka, citing sources from State media and the Russian Defense Ministry, said journalists have been ordered not to quote Prigozhin. The site claims officials have prepared a “media smear campaign” but have decided not to launch it for the time being.

A source says:

In a meeting this week, the higher-ups repeated to us that the block on Prigozhin that we put in place in January remains in effect.

We’re banned from mentioning him unless it’s absolutely necessary, we’re banned from quoting him, except in cases where he’s the first person to report news about successes on the frontline.

UPDATE 1222 GMT:

Poland’s Defense Minister Mariusz Błaszczak saw Warsaw has delivered its first German-made Leopard tanks to Ukraine.

Speaking at a meeting of the National Security Council, Błaszczak said, “The Prime Minister [Mateusz Morawiecki] couldn’t be here. He went to Kyiv to bring Leopard tanks which are the first batch delivered to Ukraine.”

UPDATE 1057 GMT:

China’s Foreign Ministry has denied a report in Germany’s Der Spiegel that a Chinese company is in negotiations to supply Russia with 100 attack drones.

The Ministrys’ spokesperson Wang Wenbin said, “China has always taken a prudent and responsible approach to military exports and does not provide any arms sales to conflict areas or belligerents.”

Citing “informed sources”, Der Spiegel said the drones could be delivered as soon as April.

Last Saturday US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned China’s foreign policy head Wang Yi that there would be “consequences” if Beijing provided any military support to Moscow.

UPDATE 1037 GMT:

Video of Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s address to the nation….

UPDATE 1029 GMT:

Russia has fired two S-300 missiles on an administrative building in the Kharkiv region in northeast Ukraine, killing two women.

The bodies were discovered in the basement of the destroyed building in Dvorichna.

A follow-up attacked targeted rescuers. Four vehicles were damaged, but no one was wounded.

UPDATE 0935 GMT:

The UK has sanctioned another 92 Russian individuals and entities, and has pledged “to prohibit the export to Russia of every item Russia has been found using on the battlefield”.

Among the newly-sanctioned are executives at the Russian State nuclear power company Rosatom and from Russia’s 2 largest defense companies. Four banks are blacklisted.

The UK is also banning the import of 140 Russian goods, including iron and steel products processed in third countries.

UPDATE 0926 GMT:

A street calliope in The Hague in the Netherlands reminds the Russian Embassy that Ukraine still stands….

A message in Berlin:

There is even a reminder to Vladimir Putin’s allies in the Belarus Government as a Ukrainian flag flies in the capital Minsk.

UPDATE 0923 GMT:

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki is in Kyiv on Friday for the ceremonies marking the anniversary of the Russian invasion. He and Ukraine Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal laid flowers at the Wall of Remembrance.

UPDATE 0909 GMT:

UK Defense Secretary Ben Wallace says London is ready to supply fighter jets to eastern European countries, enabling them to release their Soviet jets to Ukraine.

Poland’s leaders have said they are willing to deliver MiG-29 jets, introduced by the Soviet Union in the 1970s, if the supply is part of a coalition initiative.

Wallace said, “The other quick way that Ukraine can benefit from fighter jets is for those countries in Europe that have Russian Soviet fighter jets – MiG-29s or Su-24s – if they wish to donate we can use our fighter jets to backfill and provide security for them as a result.”

Denmark’s Acting Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen has gone farther, saying Copenhagen is open to sending its warplanes to Kyiv: “I won’t rule out that at some point it may be necessary to look at the contribution of fighter jets.”

UPDATE 0848 GMT:

Ukraine has welcomed Beijing’s proposal to end the Russian invasion.

Leshchynska Zhanna, the Ukrainian Chargé d’Affaires in Beijing, said the proposal is a “good sign and a sign that China wants to be involved in the global efforts to stop the war in Ukraine”.

Zhanna added, “Ukraine would like to see China on its side. at the moment China is not supporting Ukraine efforts.”

She expressed hope that Beijing would back Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s 10-point peace plan.

The Chinese position paper, implicitly pushing back on Russia’s invasion, calls for respect of sovereignty of all countries and says one country’s security cannot be at the expense of the security of others.

It seeks de-escalation and a ceasefire, emphasizing dialogue and negotiation as the only way to resolve the conflict.

Meanwhile, it opposes the expansion of military blocs and unilateral sanctions.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, visiting Estonia, was dismissive of the position paper: “China doesn’t have much credibility because they have not been able to condemn the illegal invasion of Ukraine and they also signed just days before the invasion an agreement between President Xi and President Putin on a limitless partnership with Russia.”

Rebuffing China’s criticism of the supply of weapons for Ukraine’s defense, he said, “Military support today is the way to achieve a peaceful agreement tomorrow.”

UPDATE 0827 GMT:

US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan has confirmed an additional $2 billion package of security assistance.

He cited President Joe Biden’s commitment, during his trip to Kyiv and discussions with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Monday, for “more artillery, more ammunition, more HIMARS [rocket systems] on the back of major announcements about American tanks and armored vehicles”.

Sullivan held back from any supply of fighter jets:

We’re going to continue to look at what is necessary, and make sure that we provide what is necessary that Ukraine has what it needs to succeed on the battlefield….

We will keep working with them month by month to figure out if there are additional tools that they need.

UPDATE 0758 GMT:

The European Council has marked the anniversary of Russia’s invasion with the assurance, “The European Union will continue to support Ukraine in political, economic, humanitarian, financial and military terms”.

The Council also pledged assistance for Ukraine’s reconstruction and more “collective pressure on Russia to end its war of aggression”, including a 10th set of sanctions.

Council President Ursula von der Leyen tweeted:

UPDATE 0752 GMT:

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s message of defiance from the central square in Kyiv, standing alongside his ministers, on the first night of Russia’s invasion:

We are all here defending our independence, our state.

Glory to our defenders. Glory to Ukraine. Glory to heroes.

UPDATE 0742 GMT:

The Australian Government has announced that it will send more drones to Ukraine and impose targeted financial sanctions against another 90 Russian individuals and 40 entities.

The additions to the sanctions list include Russian ministers overseeing energy, resources, and industry sectors as well as the arms manufacturer Kalashnikov Concern, aviation firm Tupolev, and submarine developer Admiralty Shipyards.

ORIGINAL ENTRY: On the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has pledged that the next year will be one of “invincibility” and victory.

Zelenskiy — who refused to flee as the Russians tried to overrun Kyiv, declaring, “I need ammunition not a ride” — posted a video on Telegram:

On February 24, millions of us made a choice. Not a white flag, but a blue and yellow flag. Not fleeing, but facing. Facing the enemy. Resistance and struggle. It was a year of pain, sorrow, faith and unity. And this is a year of our invincibility. We know that this will be the year of our victory!…

We will rebuild. No matter what these Russian terrorists and bastards may do, we will rebuild and restore everything.

He acknowledged the work still to be done for liberation:

As for the south – in some places the situation is quite dangerous but our troops have the means to respond to the occupiers.

In the east – it’s very difficult, painful. But we are doing everything to withstand it.

UN Demands Russian Withdrawal

In 141-7 vote, the UN General Assembly has called on Russia to immediately and unconditionally withdraw from Ukraine as part of a “comprehensive, just, and lasting peace”.

There were 32 abstentions, including China, India, and South Africa.

Russia lobbied vigorously to increase the No vote, but the result was close to the General Assembly’s 143-5 approval of a similar resolution last October. Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba, hailed the outcome:

141 UN member states made it clear that Russia must end its illegal aggression. Ukraine’s territorial integrity must be restored. One year after Russia launched its full-scale invasion global support for Ukraine remains strong.

China’s Deputy Ambassador, Dai Bing, criticized military assistance to Ukraine. However, he also implicitly chided the Russian invasion:

The sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries should be respected. The purposes and principles of the UN Charter should be observed. The legitimate security concerns of all countries should be taken seriously.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock noted that if the international community did not assist Kyiv, Russia would be free to conquer Ukraine and destroy the UN Charter.

The truth is that if Russia stops fighting, the war will end, If Ukraine stops this fighting, Ukraine ends.