The mayor of Irpin, a besieged city on the outskirts of Kiev, said on Monday that Ukrainian forces had taken full control after weeks of heavy fighting. Irpin was one of the main battle points after the Russian invasion on February 24 and was praised by Kremlin troops for its position near the capital. “We have good news today, Irpin has been released,” Mayor Oleksandr Markushyn said in a video post to the Telegram. “We understand that there will be more attacks on our city and we will defend it with courage.” Elsewhere, a senior Russian official said a change of government in Ukraine was not Moscow’s goal. The Interfax news agency quoted Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev as saying that the aim of the invasion was not now to oust President Zelensky. Mr Patrushev claimed that Western proposals that this was Russia’s goal were inaccurate.
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Explosion: Roman Abramovich and Ukrainian peace negotiators ‘victims of suspected poisoning’
Roman Abramovich and Ukrainian peace negotiators suffered symptoms of suspected poisoning after meeting in Kyiv in early March, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal. The Russian oligarch and at least two senior members of the Ukrainian delegation showed symptoms that included red eyes and peeling skin on their faces and hands, according to sources familiar with the matter. More to follow from Kieran Guilbert here: Emily Atkinson March 28, 2022 4:31 p.m. 1648480930
Abramovich reportedly suffered suspected poisoning
Reportedly, sanctioned Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich fell victim to suspected poisoning along with Ukrainian peace negotiators earlier in March. Emily Atkinson March 28, 2022 4:22 p.m. 1648480203
The death toll in Mariupol exceeded 5,000
Nearly 5,000 people have been killed in Mariupol since Putin’s forces besieged it, a spokesman for the city’s mayor said today. They cited data from the mayor’s office stating that about 90 percent of the buildings in Mariupol had been damaged and about 40 percent had been destroyed. Emily Atkinson March 28, 2022 4:10 p.m. 1648479621
Kyiv urges countries to rename Russian embassy addresses “Ukraine Street”
Kyiv has urged its allies around the world to rename the street where Russian embassies and consulates are located on “Ukraine Street” as a sign of support for the besieged nation. The campaign includes demands for the renaming of streets with embassies and consulates in 53 cities in 34 countries around the world. This includes an invitation to rename part of Kensington Palace Gardens in London on Ukraine Street. “The United Kingdom has an excellent record of solidarity with what is right. In the 1980s, Glasgow St George’s Place was renamed Nelson Mandela Place because of its location as the home of the apartheid consulate in South Africa. “Let ‘s do it again for Ukraine!” the report states. “We call for global solidarity and call on officials, mayors, activists to start and support the renaming of streets with Russian embassies and consulates on Ukrainian roads around the world!” Tom Batchelor28 March 2022 16:00 1648479170
Russia does not seek change of government in Ukraine, says Security Council chief
A change of government in Ukraine is not Moscow’s goal, Interfax news agency reported on Monday, citing Security Council Chairman Nikolai Patrushev. Mr Patrushev said Western proposals that this was Russia’s goal were inaccurate, Interfax reported. With the Russian invasion faltering, in recent days it has limited its public mission in the country. Last week, Moscow said it had completed the first part of its war and would now focus on the conflict in the east of the country. Tom Batchelor28 March 2022 15:52 1648477993
Duma considers bill recognizing all Russian speakers as “compatriots”
Russia’s parliament is set to consider a bill that would recognize all Russian-speakers as “compatriots.” Sergei Sumlenny, an expert on Eastern Europe, said on Twitter that the term compatriot was “a Russian phrase for” a Russian citizen living abroad “and claimed that the bill” creates a legal basis for military intervention in almost any country “. The bill submitted to the State Duma also proposes to clarify the list of “peoples living historically in Russia”, which is designed to include Belarusians and Ukrainians living in the country. Tom Batchelor28 March 2022 15:33 1648476327
Mayor Irpin claims that the city has now been completely liberated
The mayor of Irpin, a town near Kyiv that has seen some of the fiercest fighting in the war, has said he is now fully liberated after Ukrainian forces repulsed Russian invading troops. In a video shared on the Telegram, Oleksandr Markushyn claimed that Ukrainian soldiers had not completely recaptured the city. “We have good news today – Irpin has been released,” he said. “We understand that there will be more attacks on our city and we will defend it with courage.” Tom Batchelor28 March 2022 15:05 1648474811
Germany warns it could expel pro-Russian “Z”
People who use the “G” symbol to support Russia’s attack on Ukraine could be prosecuted under new measures being considered by German authorities. Russian troops in Ukraine have painted the letter Z on the side of the vehicles and have been adopted by some in Russia as a symbol of support for the Kremlin invasion. A German Interior Ministry spokesman said on Monday that security services were aware that the symbol was also being used at rallies in Germany. The spokesman, Marek Wendy, said that “the Russian attack on Ukraine is a crime and anyone who publicly approves of this war can thus be held criminally liable.” A Russian soldier in the village of Trokhizbenka in the Luhansk region of Ukraine (EPA) Tom Batchelor28 March 2022 14:40 1648473967
Carlsberg leaves Russia
The Danish brewery Carlsberg says it has decided to leave Russia, saying it is “the right thing to do today”. The announcement came hours after its competitor, Dutch brewery giant Heineken, said it had done the same. Copenhagen-based Carlsberg said Monday it would “not have a presence in Russia”. Its operations in Russia will no longer be included in the revenues and operating profits of the Danish brewery and the company “will be treated as an asset held for sale until the sale is completed”. Tom Batchelor28 March 2022 14:26 1648472793
The Russians are throwing money at Turkey and the UAE
Wealthy Russians are pouring money into real estate in Turkey and the United Arab Emirates, seeking financial refuge after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine and Western sanctions, according to real estate companies (Reuters reports). “We sell seven to eight units to Russians every day,” said Gul Gul, co-founder of the Golden Sign real estate company in Istanbul. “They buy with cash, open bank accounts in Turkey or bring gold.” In Dubai, Thiago Caldas, CEO of the real estate company Modern Living, has hired three Russian-speaking agents to cover Russian interest, which he says has increased tenfold. “They are rich Russians but not oligarchs,” said Gul of Golden Sign, one of the 12 real estate companies, in an interview with Reuters. “They are finding ways to bring their money to Turkey.” “There are customers who buy three to five apartments,” he added. Tom Batchelor28 March 2022 14:06
