Putin's 40 miles of killing machines taunt Ukraine's capital: LIVE UPDATES
Russia's invasion of Ukraine stretched into a sixth day Tuesday, as a 40-mile Russian convoy menaced the Ukrainian capital city of Kyiv and Ukrainian officials accused Russia of using a vacuum bomb.
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BP announced Sunday that it is exiting its stake in Russian oil giant Rosneft.
Shell followed suit on Monday, announcing that it was ending its relationship with Gazprom, exiting its stake in the Sakhalin-II liquefied natural gas facility.
Several companies, including Google, TikTok, YouTube, DirecTV, and Meta, have restricted access to RT America, a Russian state-owned media outlet.
Warner Bros, Disney, and Sony Pictures are all halting the release of upcoming films in Russia.
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ExxonMobil will wind down operations at Sakhalin-1, a multibillion-dollar oil and gas project in Russia, and halt any new investments in the country, the company announced Tuesday.
The Sakhalin-1 project, a large oil and gas production venture on Sakhalin Island in far eastern Russia, is one of the largest single foreign direct investments in the country.
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U.S. President Joe Biden speaks during a State of the Union address at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Tuesday, March 1, 2022. Biden's first State of the Union address comes against the backdrop of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent sanctions placed on Russia by the U.S. and its allies. Photographer: Saul Loeb/AFP/Bloomberg via Getty Images
During the State of the Union address Tuesday night, President Biden said Ukrainian President Voldymyr Zelenskyy "inspirers the world."
"Six days ago, Russia's Vladimir Putin sought to shake the very foundations of the free world, thinking he could make it bend to his menacing ways. But he badly miscalculated. He thought he could roll into Ukraine and the world would roll over," Biden said. "Instead, he met with… a wall of strength he never anticipated or imagined. He met the Ukrainian people and President Zelenskyy."
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A cryptocurrency-tracking firm says Ukraine has received $33.8 million in digital currency such as bitcoin and ether as they continue to fight off a Russian invasion.
The sum from 30,000 unique donations comes after Ukraine issued a plea for contributions last week, the Associated Press reported.
Paul, an American citizen from the state of Texas was quick to sign up. He is a former paratrooper in the 101st Airborne Division with multiple deployments to Iraq. He moved to Ukraine over a year ago and is part of a growing number of foreigners volunteering to defend the country against the Russian Army. When asked why fights for a foreign country, Paul does not hesitate to answer: "I thought it was my moral obligation to help the people of Ukraine in this crisis."
Ukraine has a special place in Paul’s heart. It reminds him of Texas. "They [Ukrainians] are fiercely independent. We have cowboys. They have Cossacks."
President Biden opened his first State of the Union Address Tuesday with remarks about the ongoing crisis in Ukraine while announcing that the U.S. would be closing its airspace to all Russian aircraft.
“Tonight, I'm announcing that we will join our allies in closing off American airspace to all Russian flights, further isolating Russia and adding an additional squeeze on their economy," Biden said.
Biden says he is taking "robust action" to make sure sanctions are aimed at Russia's economy, and is working with 30 countries to release 60 million barrels of oil reserves from around the world.
"America will lead that effort, releasing 30 Million barrels from our own Strategic Petroleum Reserve," he says.
"These steps will help blunt gas prices here at home. And I know the news about what’s happening can seem alarming," he says. "But I want you to know that we are going to be okay."
President Biden announced during his first State of the Union Address Monday that the U.S. will close American airspace to Russian aircraft, following the lead of NATO allies that have done the same amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
"He has no idea what's coming," Biden said of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Biden begins his State of the Union address with the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and says that Putin "badly miscalculated."
"Six days ago, Russia’s Vladimir Putin sought to shake the foundations of the free world thinking he could make it bend to his menacing ways. But he badly miscalculated."
He thought he could roll into Ukraine and the world would roll over. Instead he met a wall of strength he never anticipated or imagined. He met the Ukrainian people."
Biden introduces the Ukrainian ambassador to the U.S., who gets a large round of applause from those gathered in the chamber."
Throughout our history we’ve learned this lesson when dictators do not pay a price for their aggression they cause more chaos," he says.
Biden goes on to claim that "Putin is now isolated from the world more than ever." He touts "powerful economic sanctions," cutting off banks and "choking" off access to tech firms.
"We are coming for your ill-begotten gains," he says to the oligarchs, before announcing a U.S. airspace ban.
"And tonight I am announcing that we will join our allies in closing off American air space to all Russian flights – further isolating Russia – and adding an additional squeeze – on their economy."
He says the U.S. is providing military and economic assistance to Ukraine, but says U.S. forces will not engage with Russian forces.
Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, said that President Biden must do a "course correction" on issues regarding the military and U.S. energy amid the rise of authoritarian regimes such as Russia and China.
"We're in this new era of authoritarian aggression," Sullivan told Fox News Digital on Tuesday, explaining how he and 22 of his Senate GOP colleagues sent a letter to the president Tuesday expressing their concerns and offering possible solutions ahead of his first State of the Union address.
President Biden will announce a ban on all Russian aircraft in American airspace during the State of the Union on Tuesday evening, according to the Associated Press.
The move comes after Europe and Canada closed their airspace to Russian airlines over the weekend as part of widening sanctions imposed on the country after its invasion of Ukraine.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the European Union is banning all Russian airlines as well as "the private jets of oligarchs."
"There is no room in Dutch airspace for a regime that applies unnecessary and brutal violence," Mark Harbers, the Minister of Infrastructure for the Netherlands, tweeted Saturday.
House Republicans are railing against Russian President Vladimir Putin's war against Ukraine, calling for increased sanctions on Russia and slamming President Biden for not doing enough.
"There's a lot more we can do," Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., said Tuesday. "The problem is the president hasn't led… My colleague Victoria Spartz, she said it better than anybody… We have a responsibility to the world to lead. There's a reason why the president of the United States is called the leader of the free world."
The U.S. is expected to ban Russian aircraft from American airspace, a step GOP lawmakers have been calling on President Biden to make.
The order to ban Russian-owned and operated aircraft from U.S. airspace is expected within the next 24 hours, according to reporting from the Wall Street Journal.
United States Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg said that the U.S. is in talks with NATO allies to ban Russian oil.
Asked by Fox News' Edward Lawrence if the U.S. would consider banning Russian oil, Buttigieg said that there are active discussions with allies about taking the action.
“I think you might hear more about that in the coming days," Buttigieg said.
Excerpts from President Biden's State of the Union Address take direct aim at Russian President Vladimir Putin, arguing the Russian leader was "wrong" to invade his neighbor in the face of united western resistance.
"Throughout our history we’ve learned this lesson – when dictators do not pay a price for their aggression, they cause more chaos. They keep moving. And, the costs and threats to America and the world keep rising," Biden will say.
"That’s why the NATO Alliance was created to secure peace and stability in Europe after World War 2. The United States is a member along with 29 other nations.
It matters. American diplomacy matters.
Putin’s war was premeditated and unprovoked. He rejected efforts at diplomacy. He thought the West and NATO wouldn’t respond. And, he thought he could divide us here at home.
Putin was wrong. We were ready."
A Chechen "hit squad" that was reportedly sent to Ukraine in an attempt to assassinate Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was "eliminated by Ukrainian forces.
Secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council Oleksiy Danilov told Ukrainian television that Chechen forces that “came to kill our president” were "eliminated," according to reporting from the New York Post.
The Ukrainian official said two Chechen units were sent to Ukraine, with one being captured and the other being engaged by members of the Ukrainian armed forces.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen applauds after an address by Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, via video link, at the European Parliament in Brussels
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy received a standing ovation from world leaders Tuesday after he delivered an impassioned speech to the European Union as Russian forces continue to strike.
Zelenskyy pleaded with the 27-nation alliance to grant Kyiv membership and view Ukraine as a nation that stands "equal" to its European allies.
"We have proven that at a minimum, we are exactly the same as you are," he said during an emergency session of the EU parliament. "Prove that you are with us. Prove that you will not let us go.
A British teacher who embarked on a one-man rescue mission to Ukraine this week to bring his wife and two-year-old son to safety told Fox News that he plans to stay in the country to take up arms or help get other women and children across the border.
Ian Umney, an English teacher in Manchester, quit his job and began strategizing after receiving the dreaded phone call from his wife informing him that Russia had invaded the country last week.
An Afghan refugee and her family who became trapped in Kyiv when Russia invaded Ukraine are escaping with the help of an American nonprofit.
Somaia, 19, has been in Kyiv since she was evacuated in a military plane from Afghanistan last year during President Joe Biden's bungled withdrawal from the country.
She is among many refugees who settled in Ukraine after the Taliban took control of Afghanistan – although the exact number is unknown.
Apple released a statement outlining their response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, including a pause on sales and exports to Russia.
"We are deeply concerned about the Russian invasion of Ukraine and stand with all of the people who are suffering as a result of the violence. We are supporting humanitarian efforts, providing aid for the unfolding refugee crisis, and doing all we can to support our teams in the region," the company said Tuesday.
"We have taken a number of actions in response to the invasion. We have paused all product sales in Russia. Last week, we stopped all exports into our sales channel in the country. Apple Pay and other services have been limited. RT News and Sputnik News are no longer available for download from the App Store outside Russia. And we have disabled both traffic and live incidents in Apple Maps in Ukraine as a safety and precautionary measure for Ukrainian citizens.
We will continue to evaluate the situation and are in communication with relevant governments on the actions we are taking. We join all those around the world who are calling for peace."
President Biden is set to authorize the release of 30 million barrels of oil from strategic reserves as concerns grow that Russia's invasion of Ukraine will continue to impact energy prices.
"Russia's actions in Ukraine have resulted in energy supply shortages of significant scope and duration and have already caused a substantial increase in oil prices worldwide that threatens to slow United States economic growth at this critical point in our economic recovery," reads a White House memorandum.
FIRST ON FOX: Kansas Republican Sen. Roger Marshall introduced legislation Tuesday that calls on the White House to ban all Russian oil imports into the U.S.
The bill – which would specifically block the importation of petroleum and petroleum products from Russia – has been backed by Energy Committee GOP Leader Sen. John Barrasso along with at least seven other Republicans in the upper chamber
"First and foremost, President Biden needs to restart America’s energy production and quit funding Vladimir Putin’s war on Ukraine by continuing to purchase crude oil from Russia," Marshall told Fox News Digital.
A Ukrainian hacker using his laptop to battle Russian disinformation and take down propaganda bots amid an ongoing invasion of his homeland says his people are "more united than ever" as they face off with a world power.
When Russia’s invasion of Ukraine went from a hypothetical threat to a grim reality on February 24th, Petro Tsymbalistyi, a web developer from Lviv, traveled with his wife Mariia and their two children to the Polish border so they could wait out the conflict at a friend’s home in the neighboring country.
After waiting 14 hours in a 2.5-mile line of cars at the Ukraine-Poland border, Tsymbalistyi and his family began to notice fathers walking back toward home without their wives or children. It was then they learned that male citizens were no longer permitted to cross the border out of Ukraine.
Ambassador of Ukraine to the United States Oksana Markarova will be one of the selected guests in First Lady Jill Biden's viewing box for President Biden’s State of the Union Address Tuesday, the White House announced.
The move comes as Ukraine continues to fight back against a Russian invasion of the country, spurring the U.S. and NATO allies to target Russia with what are designed to be crippling economic sanctions.
In a question and answer session with anchors including Fox News' Bret Baier ahead of his State of the Union address, President Biden expressed confidence in the west's ability to push back against Russian aggression.
“My determination is to see that the EU- NATO -and all of the allies are on the same page when it comes to sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine," Biden said. "One thing that gives us power to push back against (Putin) is the unity of NATO and the west."
The war in Ukraine is expected to be a key topic in Biden's first State of the Union Address Tuesday.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and President Biden spoke today for just over 30 minutes, a White House official told Fox News Digital.
Zelenskyy said the two leaders discussed “American leadership on anti-Russian sanctions and defense assistance to Ukraine.”
The White House said Biden "underscored the United States’ sustained help for Ukraine, including ongoing deliveries of security assistance, economic support, and humanitarian aid."
Part of the discussion centered around ways Russia will be held accountable for the invasion of Ukraine, including sanctions that the White House said are "already having an impact on the Russian economy."
The two also discussed increased attacks on areas occupied by Ukrainian civilians, including a bombing close to the Babyn Yar Holocaust memorial.
Russian state-aligned media outlet RIA posted and deleted an article over the weekend that hailed Vladimir Putin for victory over Ukraine as Russia helps usher in a supposed "new world."
In what some have already labeled an "embarrassing and revealing" mistake, RIA pushed the article out and quickly deleted it. The article carries a date and timestamp of Feb. 26 at 8 a.m. and remains web-archived and available via the WayBack Machine to read in full.
The report starts off by underscoring the victory as "restoring" Russia’s unity, not just geographically returning the country to its historical borders and reversing "the tragedy of 1991," but also hailing the country’s ability to overcome "temporary division."
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Russian military forces forged ahead with their onslaught of attacks on Ukraine, even as they faced resistance in its efforts to take the capital city of Kyiv. The Russian attacks have decimated parts of Ukraine, including most recently the country’s second-largest city, Kharkiv.
In the dust, debris and the dead lying in Kharkiv’s central Freedom Square, Ukrainians on Tuesday saw what might become of other cities if Russia’s invasion isn’t countered.
WARNING: THE FOLLOWING CONTAINS IMAGES THAT SOME MAY CONSIDER GRAPHIC IN NATURE
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While sheltering from bombs in a bathroom in Kharkiv, Ukraine, an English teacher told Fox News that Russian forces have been exclusively aiming at civilians in Kharkiv for days.
"They have been bombing since morning, only districts where civilian people live, where there are no militarily forces," Julia Laesser said. "Just local flats, supermarkets and some small shops."
"They are bombing civilians," she continued. "We have a lot of people, a lot of people who died in the streets, a lot of people who are hurt."
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A senior U.S. defense official told Fox News that President Biden has ruled out setting up a no-fly zone over Ukraine.
The current stance holds that a no-fly zone would mean the U.S. had entered the conflict, which Biden has said is not on the table.
“The President had been clear that US troops, US forces will not be used inside Ukraine,” the official said.
But the official added that the Russian convoy has made “no appreciable movement” towards Kyiv, and soldiers are running out of food. The official said there is “no reason to doubt” reports that Russian soldiers are also punching holes in their own fuel tanks to stop their vehicles advancing.
Fox News' Jennifer Griffin contributed to this report.
Russian combat forces north of Kyiv have not advanced since Monday and have been running out of food and gas, a senior U.S. defense official said Tuesday.
More than 80% of the pre-staged Russian combat power is now inside Ukraine, the official said.
The official added that the "stall" north of Kyiv is due in part to tough Ukrainian resistance and "fuel and sustainment problems." The lack of advance could also be a result of Russia regrouping, rethinking or reevaluating their strategy, the official said.
A "significant number" of Russian troops are conscripts, the official said, describing them as "very young men drafted into service" who may not have been fully trained or aware that they would be participating in combat operations.
The U.S. is picking up indications that morale is flagging in some of these units, the defense official added.
But Russia has made some gains in the southern part of Ukraine after occupying Malitopol and Berdyansk.
Fox News' Peter Aitken contributed to this report.
The United States and its allies agreed on Tuesday to a coordinated release of 60 million barrels of oil as prices surge amid the Russia, Ukraine conflict.
The International Energy Agency (IEA), which represents the consortium, says the withdrawal will come from the global strategic petroleum reserves led by the United States which will add 30 million barrels to global supply.
The move did little to ease U.S. oil prices which rose above $104 per barrel mid-morning.
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Russia has been accused of using thermobaric vacuum bombs during its invasion of Ukraine, according to Ukrainian officials.
"They used the vacuum bomb today," Ukraine's ambassador to the United States Oksana Markarova told reporters after meeting with U.S. lawmakers Monday. "...The devastation that Russia is trying to inflict on Ukraine is large."
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The British government has openly raised the option of kicking Russia from the U.N. Security Council.
A spokesperson for British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the option was among “all options” on the table, according to AFP.
Britain is the first permanent Security Council member to raise the option. The U.N. held an emergency special session this week after Russia used its veto power last week to block a motion to condemn its actions in Ukraine.
During a speech to the European Union, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy referred to Russia’s actions as “terrorism.”
Russia launched missiles that hit an administrative building in Kharkiv, a city of 1.5 million people in eastern Ukraine, and hit residential areas as well.
Zelenskyy said the attack was “frank, undisguised terror” and labeled the action as a war crime.
"Nobody will forgive. Nobody will forget,” Zelenskyy said. “This is state terrorism of the Russian Federation."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The EU has accepted Ukraine’s application and has commenced a special admission procedure to integrate the country, Eastern European media has reported.
The EU will also look to switch Ukraine over to its power grid in the coming weeks, further integrating the country into the European structure.
Russian state-aligned media has issued warnings from the Defense Ministry that its military will carry out imminent attacks in Kyiv.
The attacks will supposedly target the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and 72nd Main Centre for Psychological Special Operations (PSO).
The Defense Ministry claims this will help "suppress information attacks" against Russia.
Ukrainian CCTV appears to show a Russian missile strike a government building while cars drove past the building on the sixth day of Moscow’s invasion.
"Fox & Friends" aired footage which originally appeared in a Sky News blog post on Ukraine. In the video, cars drive past the Kharkiv Region state administration building on the Freedom Square in eastern Ukraine.
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Satellite images reportedly show a massive Russian convoy stretching about 40 miles long outside Ukraine’s capital as the two nations battle for the sixth day.
Satellite images released by U.S.-based space technology firm Maxar Technologies showed about a 40-mile convoy of Russian tanks and armored vehicles outside Kyiv.
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Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s speech to the U.N. Human Right’s Council prompted a mass-walkout.
As soon as the U.N. president turns over the floor to Lavrov, dozens of diplomats stand and leave the meeting chamber without a word.
Lavrov said he was “compelled” to make his address by video after the European Union restricted his “freedom of movement.”
The speech comes six days after Russia invaded Ukraine during what Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to call a “special operation.”
In a video address to the European parliament on Tuesday, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged the member states to continue supporting his country as he pushed for European membership.
Zelenskyy condemned Russia for its use of cruise missiles and heavy artillery against civilians in his country.
“Our people are motivated and we are fighting for freedoms and our lives,” Zelenskyy said. “We are fighting for our survival.”
He asked the parliament to “prove” they stand with Ukraine and said his people will prove they are “equal partners” in Europe.
The official Twitter account of the Kyiv Rada announced that Belarusian troops invaded the Chernihiv region of Ukraine. The Rada cited Vitaliy Kyrylov, spokesman for the North Territorial Defense Forces of Ukraine.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko denied the report in statements published by the Belarusian state news agency Belta. Lukashenko said he had no plans to invade Ukraine.
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Translating for the German news service Welt, the translator could be heard getting choked up towards the end of Zelenskyy’s speech, before she apologized, a video online showed.
"Ukrainians, we know exactly what we are defending. We will definitely win," Zelenskyy added, as the interpreter began to break down.
Watch the video here.
"They used the vacuum bomb today. The devastation that Russia is trying to inflict on Ukraine is large," Ukraine's ambassador to the U.S., Oksana Markarova, told reporters at the U.S. Capitol.
The White House is awaiting confirmation from international investigative parties before it takes action, officials said. (READ MORE )
Snow is predicted in Ukraine this week, which could impact the air operations of both Russian attackers and Ukrainian defenders, and ultimately give Ukraine a slight advantage.
Poor weather conditions typically favor the defender in respect to air operations, although this is not always true, retired Maj. Gen. David P. San Clemente told Fox News.
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A Ukrainian American woman who lives near Boston, Massachusetts, told Fox News Digital on Monday that she can no longer speak on the phone with her own mother, who lives in southern Ukraine, because of the Russian attacks on Ukraine and the fear these attacks have engendered.
The Boston-area woman, whose first name is Katya, described: "There has been no water, food or medical aid [for the Ukrainian people there] for two or three days."
Also, she said, babies are being born in the midst of war — "and some of the newborns are dying."
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Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told "The Ingraham Angle" that work should have been done "months ago" to prevent the conflict with Russia.
"The hard work should have been done months ago," Pompeo said. "You know, you talk about this being a six-day war. We've known Vladimir Putin's intentions for a long time. We saw him building up these forces."
Benedict Cumberbatch arrives at the 28th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Barker Hangar on Sunday, Feb. 27, 2022, in Santa Monica, Calif. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
Benedict Cumberbatch called for more support for Ukraine during a Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony in Los Angeles Monday.
"I can’t speak today, at this very proud moment of my life, on this extraordinary platform, without acknowledging the obvious of what is happening in Ukraine and to show my support for the people of Ukraine, and my support for the people of Russia who are opposing the kleptocracy and the idiocy of their rulers to try and halt the progression of this atrocity," Cumberbatch told a group of reporters.
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International Criminal Court Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan said Monday he will open an investigation into Russian war crimes in Ukraine "as rapidly as possible."
The investigation will look into any alleged crimes before the Russian invasion, with Khan noting in a statement that it is my intention that this investigation will also encompass any new alleged crimes falling within the jurisdiction of my office that are committed by any party to the conflict on any part of the territory of Ukraine.”
Ukraine's ambassador to the United States accused Russia of using vacuum bombs during their invasion of the country. These bombs are strictly outlawed.
"They used the vacuum bomb today," Ambassador Oksana Markarova said after a meeting with lawmakers, according to Reuters. "The devastation that Russia is trying to inflict on Ukraine is large."
Russia is very likely to default on foreign debt and its economy will suffer a double-digit contraction this year after the West launched sanctions unprecedented in scale and coordination, a global banking industry lobby group said on Monday.
"If we stay here and this (the crisis) escalates, then default and restructuring is likely," Elina Ribakova, the lobby group's deputy chief economist told reporters during a media call.
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Satellite imagery provided by Maxar shows a large Russian military convoy heading towards the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv.
The convoy is approximately 40 miles long, stretching from Antonov airport in the south to Prybirsk.
Additional images show increased military activity in southern Belarus, with ground attack helicopters spotted less than 20 miles from the country's border with Ukraine.
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