Russian troops in streets of Kherson, mayor says: Live News | Russia-Ukraine war News
- Ukrainian official says an explosion near Kyiv’s central train station was caused by falling wreckage from a Russian missile that was downed by Ukrainian air defence.
- Pentagon says Russian military push towards Kyiv from the north “remains stalled” due to regrouping and logistical challenges.
- The UN says 227 civilians have been killed and 525 injured in Ukraine since the start of Russia’s invasion.
- Russia’s negotiator says a second round of talks will take place on Thursday, while Ukraine is casting doubt on the plan.
- President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Moscow is aiming to “erase” Ukraine.
- The UN says more than 870,000 people have fled Ukraine in search of safety.
Here are all the latest updates:
Kherson mayor says Russian troops in the streets
The mayor of the southern Ukrainian port city of Kherson, Igor Kolykhayev, has said Russian troops were in the streets and had forced their way into the city council building, the Reuters news agency reported.
Ukraine’s government had earlier played down reports that Kherson had fallen into Russian hands.
Kolykhayev urged Russian soldiers not to shoot at civilians and publicly called on residents to walk through the streets only in daylight and in ones and twos. “We do not have the Armed Forces in the city, only civilians and people who want to LIVE here!” he said in a statement.
Yellen says US will address potential sources of leakages in Russia sanctions
The United States will continue to address potential sources of “leakages” in the sweeping sanctions imposed on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has said.
Yellen said the hard sanctions slapped on Russia were having a significant impact, as reflected in the rouble’s sharp fall. Asked whether energy sanctions could follow, she said nothing was off the table with regard to sanctions.
Mercedes-Benz halts Russia exports over sanctions
Mercedes-Benz has said it was suspending vehicle exports to Russia and local production in the country, becoming the latest carmaker to respond to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
“Mercedes-Benz will suspend the export of passenger cars and vans to Russia as well as the local manufacturing in Russia until further notice,” it said in a statement.
German rivals BMW and Volkswagen made similar announcements earlier this week as Western companies withdraw from sanctions-hit Russia.
Pentagon says Russian advance on Kyiv ‘remains stalled’
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby has said the Russian military’s push towards Kyiv from the north “remains stalled”.
“From our best estimates, [Russian forces] have not made any appreciable progress geographically speaking, in the last 24 to 36 hours,” Kirby told reporters.
He said the Pentagon believes the advance has slowed down because Russian forces are deliberately regrouping while also facing unanticipated logistical challenges and resistance from Ukrainians.
US postpones ballistic missile test: Pentagon
The Pentagon says the US has postponed an intercontinental ballistic missile test previously set for this week to avoid escalation with Russia.
“In an effort to demonstrate that we have no intention in engaging in any actions that can be misunderstood or misconstrued, the secretary of defense has directed that our Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile test launch scheduled for this week to be postponed,” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told reporters.
“We did not take this decision lightly, but instead to demonstrate that we are a responsible nuclear power.”
Civilian toll in Ukraine climbs to 227 dead, 525 injured, UN says
The United Nations’ human rights office has said that 227 civilians had been killed and 525 others were injured in Ukraine from when the Russian assault began through midnight on March 1.
“Most of these casualties were caused by the use of explosive weapons with a wide impact area, including shelling from heavy artillery and multi-launch rocket systems, and air strikes,” it said in a statement issued in Geneva.
The UN human rights office said it believed that the true toll is “considerably higher”, especially in government-controlled territory in the last days, due to reporting delays in some areas where intensive hostilities have taken place.
Wreckage from downed Russian missile caused blast near Kyiv station
An explosion near Kyiv’s central train station was caused by falling wreckage from a Russian missile that was downed by Ukrainian air defence, Interior Ministry adviser Anton Herashchenko has said in an online post.
The falling debris hit a heating pipe, causing the blast, but caused far less damage and casualties than if the missile had hit its target in central Kyiv, he said, without saying if anyone had been hurt in the explosion.
The station was being used to evacuate thousands of women and children, Ukraine’s state-run railway company Ukrzaliznytsya said in a statement.
Welcome to Al Jazeera’s continuing coverage of the Ukraine-Russia crisis.
Read all the updates from Wednesday, March 2, here.
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