Russia-Ukraine war: United Nations approves resolution condemning Putin, Russia: LIVE UPDATES
The Russian invasion of Ukraine stretched on into its seventh day Wednesday with a massive air assault on the second city of Kharkiv and forces moving toward the capital of Kyiv.
Coverage for this event has ended.
Vladimir Putin's Russia has a "Ministry of Enlightenment" and it plans to release an "open lesson" justifying the invasion of Ukraine.
"Russia's Ministry of Enlightenment announced it will stream an ‘All-Russian Open Lesson’ on why 'the liberation mission in Ukraine is a necessity' on Mar. 3 at 12 p.m. Moscow time," the Kyiv Independent reported.
"The lesson will discuss why 'NATO posses a threat to Russia' and why Russia 'stood up to defend the peaceful residents of Donetsk and Luhansk people’s republics.'"
The United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine reported that as of midnight on March 1, it recorded 752 civilian casualties in Ukraine since the beginning of the invasion, the Kyiv Independent reported.
Richard Childress is stepping up to help the people of Ukraine defend their country against Russia, as he has committed to donating one million rounds of ammo to the armed forces of Ukraine.
"I was listening the other day and heard President Zelenskyy say he didn't want out, he wanted ammunition," Childress told Fox and Friends host Brian Kilmeade on Wednesday.
So, Childress said he made a call and got to work.
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The violence of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine hasn’t yet reached Odesa, the country’s third-largest city, but Vladimir Putin’s navy was headed there Wednesday night.
Several Russian warships from Crimea were headed to Odesa. An amphibious assault could come as soon as Thursday, U.S. officials told Fox News.
It comes as Russian forces attack the waterfront cities of Kherson and Mariupol.
Jesse Watters said the West "cannot lose" Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Wednesday's opening monologue of "Jesse Watters Primetime."
"The protection of Zelenskyy is priority number one for the entire Western world," he said. "He's become a symbol larger than life. He recognizes this, and appears to know he may have to die in the capital to save his country."
There is a "propaganda war" with Ukraine, he continued.
"It's being fought on all sides, and Zelenskyy is the key character," Watters said. "The West cannot lose him. The Ukrainians cannot lose him, and so the United States must help execute a survival strategy to keep Zelenskyy and hope alive."
The Ukraine Ministry of Foreign Affairs is calling on Russia to stop killing individuals in Kharkiv and Sumy to allow for evacuations to take place, saying that students are currently "hostages" of the Russian government.
International students from countries such as India, Pakistan, and China are currently unable to leave the cities because of "indiscriminate shelling and barbaric missile strikes by the Russian Armed Forces on residential areas and civilian infrastructure," according to the Facebook post made on Wednesday.
The government agency said it would assist international students in relocating the students to safer areas if a ceasefire is arranged, but said that current evacuations are extremely difficult.
Republican and Democratic senators urged the Biden administration this week to grant protections from deportation to Ukrainians already in the country in response to the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine.
More than 40 senators, led by Sens. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, Dick Durbin, D-Ill., Bob Menendez, D-N.J., and Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., wrote to President Biden calling for Ukrainian nationals already in the country to be given Temporary Protected Status (TPS.)
There is a lot going on in the country, in the world. And when there's a lot going on, it's the perfect time to think and analyze and ask questions starting with ourselves. The answers, I think, will eventually come — or partial answers will eventually come — if we do spend enough time reflecting and analyzing and posing the right questions to those in positions of power and also to ourselves.
So, we'll start with what's been on my mind, which is that Russia invaded a sovereign neighboring country, and civilians are being killed. Russian and Ukrainian civilians are bearing the cost of wars waged by a Russian despot, which should lead us to wonder why there has been any equivocation by some in this country on the nature and intentions of Vladimir Putin.
Some in the media and in positions of power seem frankly enamored with Putin. Looking at the images of dead Ukrainian children should settle the question of who Putin is once and for all. It's not something I've wondered about, but it is apparently something that others have wondered about. And it does beg the question of what some people are drawn to.
Ukraine is appealing directly to the mothers and loved ones of Russian soldiers to convince them to stop fighting as casualties continue to mount amid Moscow's escalation of the conflict.
On Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that nearly 6,000 Russian soldiers had been killed in the conflict, a much higher count than the 498 deaths Russia has claimed.
"Russian mothers are losing their children in a completely foreign country," Zelenskyy said in a video address. "Think of this number: almost 6,000 Russians died, Russian military, in six days of war."
The southern Ukrainian city of Kherson has fallen to Russian forces, becoming the first major city to fall since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine last week.
“There is no Ukrainian army here,” Kherson Mayor Igor Kolykhaev said Wednesday, according to the New York Times. “The city is surrounded.”
Kolykhaev said that Ukrainian forces have pulled out of the city and relocated to the area of Mykolaiv, a city northwest of Kherson.
Kherson, a city of 300,000 people that sits nears the Black Sea, is an important strategically thanks to its location near Ukraine's southern coast, giving the Russian military more control of the area as they attempt to push towards the major port city of Odessa.
The House passed a resolution to stand by the Ukrainian people by a 426-3 vote, according to reporting from Fox News' Chad Pergram.
The three votes against the resolution were from Republican Reps. Thomas Massie, Matt Rosendale, and Paul Gosar.
Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said Wednesday that the Russian military have "lost a sense of momentum" during their invasion of Ukraine, but warned that the Russian military still has the capability to escalate the situation.
Kirby credited the fierce Ukrainian resistance for helping stall the Russian advance, complimenting the Ukrainian armed forces for "fighting back bravely" and possibly catching Russian President Vladimir Putin off guard with their will to fight.
Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said that Russian President Vladimir Putin is causing a "humanitarian crisis" in Ukraine, noting that there are up to 500,000 people attempting to flee the country.
"Putin is causing humanitarian crisis," Kirby said during Wednesday's press briefing.
He also noted that the U.S. would continue to do everything it can to provide the Ukrainian military with defense assistance.
"We are making every effort to get security assistance to the Ukrainians," Kirby said.
Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said during a press briefing Wednesday that the U.S. would postpone a ballistic missile test amid the increased tensions with Russia.
The announcement comes after Russia heightened its nuclear readiness in recent days, a move that Kirby argued cannot result in a winner.
Kirby added that the move was not in direct response to Russia's action, but to demonstrate that the U.S. would continue to show it is a responsible actor.
A Russian missile landed near Kyiv's central train station Wednesday evening, sources tell Fox News Digital.
Photos show huge crowds in the area earlier in the day as refugees -- many of them women and children -- attempted to escape the violence as Russian troops mass outside the city.
The strike came after sundown. There were no immediate reports of injuries, however the sources said trains were still running at the time of the attack. Video shared to social media show damaged windows at the train station on the side facing a parking lot. A handful of people appeared OK inside.
Sources said it fell about 300 to 400 meters from the train station itself.
Ukrainian defense forces have been setting up makeshift fortifications and barricades, as military checkpoints searched incoming cars for Russian saboteurs.
The attack came as Russian strikes on civilian infrastructure have intensified around the country -- especially in the besieged city of Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, which is near the border with Russia.
On Tuesday, another Russian missile took down a civilian TV tower in Kyiv, killing at least five people.
"Just luck that nobody was killed. When you attack with missiles, you aim to kill," the source told Fox News Digital.
A destroyed building following Russian missile strikes in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Wednesday, March 2, 2022.
China asked Russia to wait until after the Olympics to launch their invasion of Ukraine, the New York Times reported, citing U.S. intelligence officials.
Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Feb. 4 just before the opening ceremony of the Olympics, with the two countries releasing a statement indicating Chinese support of Russia and denouncing the expansion of NATO.
The closing ceremony of the Olympics were held on Feb. 20, with Putin launching Russia's invasion of Ukraine the day after.
But the intelligence was disputed by Chinese Embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu, who called the report was "speculation without any basis" and argued it was an attempt to "blame-shift and smear China."
The Swedish Armed Forces said that four Russian fighter jets briefly entered Swedish airspace over the Baltic Sea Wednesday, according to reporting from Reuters.
"In the light of the current situation we view this event very seriously," they said on their website. noting the jets were located east of the Swedish island of Gotland.
The news comes as speculation has grown that Nordic countries such as Finland and Sweden may consider joining NATO, a move that Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned would come with "serious military-political consequences."
Chelsea soccer club owner Roman Abramovich attends the UEFA Women's Champions League final soccer match against FC Barcelona in Gothenburg, Sweden on May 16, 2021. (AP/Martin Meissner)
Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich announced Wednesday he’s decided to sell the club -- one of the most popular soccer teams in the world.
"I would like to address the speculation in media over the past few days in relation to my ownership of Chelsea FC. As I have stated before, I have always taken decisions with the Club’s best interest at heart. In the current situation, I have therefore taken the decision to sell the Club, as I believe this is in the best interest of the Club, the fans, the employees, as well as the Club’s sponsors and partners.
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As the situation in Ukraine heats up and Russia's invading forces increasingly unleash violence around the country --especially in civilian areas -- Yael Eckstein, president of The International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, shared detailed information and heartfelt concerns with Fox News Digital on Wednesday morning.
"The situation is catastrophic. The people are strong. They are brave," said Eckstein to Fox News Digital in an email about what is going on in Ukraine.
"The women and children also are running out of time," she added urgently.
"Imagine packing up your car to flee -- with your children -- and finding every road blocked as you hear air raid sirens in the background?" said Eckstein.
"How long can someone live in a bomb shelter or a subway?"
Click here to read more on Fox News.
A Polish soldier carries a baby of a Ukrainian refugee upon their arrival at the border crossing in Medyka, southeastern Poland, on Wednesday. (AP/Markus Schreiber)
The number of Ukrainian refugees could soon hit the one million mark, according to the U.N. refugee agency.
More than 874,000 people have fled Ukraine since Russia’s invasion last week, the agency reported Wednesday. That number is "rising exponentially" and could grow to a million in a matter of hours.
The refugees are streaming into countries neighboring Ukraine, including Poland, Moldova, Hungary and Slovakia.
The number of refugees has spiked quickly in the last few days. The United Nations’ refugee agency estimated on Sunday that 368,000 had fled the nation, before rising to 500,000 refugees on Monday. More than 200,000 people have fled the nation since Tuesday, UNHCR spokeswoman Shabia Mantoo said Wednesday.
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President Biden called out Russia for targeting civilians and continued to express support for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as Russian troops continue their invasion.
Biden spoke briefly to reporters Wednesday morning as he departed the White House before boarding Marine One, addressing the latest developments.
When asked about Russia targeting civilian areas as opposed to the Ukrainian military, Biden replied, "It's clear they are."
Asked about whether Russia was committing war crimes, however, Biden said he and his administration were monitoring the situation, but that it was too soon to make a determination.
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United Nations members stand up and applaud after a vote on a resolution against Russia during an emergency meeting of the General Assembly at the United Nations headquarters on Wednesday. (AP/Seth Wenig)
The United Nations General Assembly passed a historical resolution Wednesday condemning Russia’s deadly invasion into Ukraine and demanding it withdraw immediately.
The resolution holds no legal authority but serves as a symbol of global unity against Russian President Vladimir Putin as only five of the 181 nations present for the vote opposed the measure.
The U.S. along with 140 other nations supported the resolution while 35 nations abstained, including authoritarian regimes like China, Cuba and Iran abstained.
Russia, Belarus, Eritrea, North Korea and Syria voted against the resolution.
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The United States has announced the formation of a task force that will enforce the sweeping sanctions against Russia announced by President Biden, including actions against the powerful billionaire oligarchs.
Attorney General Merrick Garland announced the launch of Task Force KleptoCapture, an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing the export restrictions and economic countermeasures Biden placed on Russia.
"The Justice Department will use all of its authorities to seize the assets of individuals and entities who violate these sanctions," said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland.
"We will leave no stone unturned in our efforts to investigate, arrest, and prosecute those whose criminal acts enable the Russian government to continue this unjust war," he added. "Let me be clear: if you violate our laws, we will hold you accountable."
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The Russian Air Force could soon engage Ukraine at a higher level, a former F-22 fighter pilot told Fox News on Tuesday.
"I think over the next 72 hours, we're going to see a fundamentally different picture for the Ukrainian Air Force, and I'd expect to see more high-level engagement by the Russian Air Force," Dan Robinson, a Royal Air Force veteran and former F-22 fighter pilot, said Tuesday evening.
Overnight, Russia launched the largest air assault of the invasion so far, according to Florida Sen. Marco Rubio. Wednesday marked the seventh day of the invasion.
Russian forces have increased their attacks on Ukraine's crowded urban areas, including bombing a TV tower in the capital of Kyiv and continued shelling in Kharkiv.
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In the first admission of hard numbers of losses during the war, Russia state media outlet RIA reported that 498 troops Russian troops have been killed in Ukraine, with a further 1597 injured.
Russia first admitted to troop deaths on Sunday after Ukraine continued to announce death numbers in the thousands, though no one has been able to independently verify Ukraine’s claims.
The United Kingdom’s Defense Ministry had reported Russian loses of 450 on Friday – the second day of the conflict.
The United Nations overwhelmingly voted to approve a resolution Wednesday to condemn Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.
The measure passed 141 to 5, with 35 members opting not to vote.
News of its approval was met with an extended round of applause at the General Assembly in New York City.
Russian President Vladimir Putin listens to the head of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs Alexander Shokhin during their meeting in Moscow, Russia, on Wednesday. (Mikhail Klimentyev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has urged the people of his country to stage daily protests and calls President Vladimir Putin an "obviously insane czar" for his invasion of Ukraine.
The protests in Russia started immediately and continued despite a swift and severe crackdown by police in every major city, including the capital of Moscow and the city of St. Petersburg. The arrests come as Russian leaders continue to be frustrated by slower-than-expected gains in their invasion of Ukraine, according to American officials.
In a long series of tweets posted Wednesday by his spokesman, Navalny called for his people to avoid turning into a "nation of frightened silent people" and instead "fight for peace."
"I call on everyone to take to the streets and fight for peace," he wrote. "Putin is not Russia. And if there is anything in Russia right now that you can be most proud of, it is those 6,824 people who were detained because – without any call – they took to the streets with placards saying ‘No War’."
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United States Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield speaks during an emergency meeting of the General Assembly at U.N. headquarters in New York City on Wednesday. (AP/Seth Wenig)
U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield, speaking to the General Assembly Wednesday ahead of a vote on a draft resolution condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine, called on Russian soldiers to lay down their weapons.
“Today we stand together in holding Russia accountable for its violations of international law and to address the horrific human rights and humanitarian crisis unfolding before our eyes,” she said.
“To the Russian protesters, I say thank you. Thank you for your bravery,” Thomas-Greenfield continued. “To the Russian soldiers sent to the front lines of an unjust, unnecessary war, I say your leaders are lying to you, do not commit war crimes, do everything you can to put down your weapons and leave Ukraine.”
Thomas-Greenfield closed out her speech by urging member nations to “vote yes if you believe Russia should be held to account for its actions.”
Ukraine Ministry of Defense poster that informs Russian mothers as to how they can find out about their sons.
The Ukraine Ministry of Defense posted on Facebook asking Russian mothers to collect their sons who have been captured in battle in Ukraine.
The post included several multi-channel phone numbers and an email address through which they can contact Ukrainian authorities for more information.
The ministry will also provide proof of captivity, but noted the mothers will need to find a way to get to Kyiv and proceeded to detail a very complex process by which they could reach the capital, which is under siege.
“We, Ukrainians, unlike Putin's fascists, do not fight with mothers and their captive children,” the message said. “We are waiting for you in Kyiv!”
President Joe Biden talks to the media before boarding Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House on Wednesday. (AP/Alex Brandon)
President Biden told reporters Wednesday that "it's clear" Russia is targeting civilian areas, but he added that it is too early to say whether President Vladimir Putin's military has committed war crimes.
As he left the White House to travel to Wisconsin, Biden said it is up to Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on whether he leaves the country or stays.
Biden said the U.S. is doing "everything we can to help him."
Oil tanker ship SCF Samotlor sails under Yavuz Sultan Selim bridge on Tuesday as it crosses the Bosphorus strait after departing from Russia's Novorossiysk port. (AP/Francisco Seco)
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu announced Wednesday that Moscow has dropped a request to send four warships to the Black Sea through the Turkish straits.
The Black Sea borders Ukraine and Cavusoglu said Moscow had agreed to a “friendly request” by Turkey, a NATO member.
Turkey — which has been trying to balance its close relations with both Ukraine and Russia — announced this week that it will implement an international convention that allows it to shut down the straits to warships belong to warring countries.
The convention provides an exception for warships returning to Black Sea ports they are registered with.
Cavusoglu said three of the Russian ships were not registered with Black Sea naval bases.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Ukraine's military has said in a tweet that it is now in possession of military equipment that Russian forces have left behind.
"An abandoned column of enemy equipment in the area of responsibility of one of the Ukrainian brigades will serve Ukrainian soldiers," it said in a tweet.
A view of a damaged regional police station building after a Russian missile attack in Kharkiv, Ukraine on Wednesday. (State Emergency Service of Ukraine/Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Disturbing photos and videos have emerged from Ukraine on Wednesday as the largest city of Kharkiv continued to endure relentless shelling on the seventh day since Russian forces invaded.
The air assault on overpopulated urban areas of Ukraine continued even as Moscow said it would be ready to resume talks aimed at stopping the new devastating war in Europe.
In Kharkiv, with a population of about 1.5 million, at least six people were killed when the region’s administrative building on Freedom Square was hit with what was believed to be a missile.
The Slovenian Foreign Ministry said its consulate in Kharkiv, located in another large building on the square, was destroyed. The attack on the square — the nucleus of public life in the city — was seen by many Ukrainians as brazen evidence that the Russian invasion wasn’t just about hitting military targets.
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![Mariupol mayor: Our doctors are 'fighting for the lives of [our] residents'](https://a57.foxnews.1eye.us/livenews.foxnews.1eye.us/images/2022/03/624/351/cda4c11369cdc57acccc093397d7c815.jpg?tl=1&ve=1)
A woman walks past the debris in the aftermath of Russian shelling, in Mariupol, Ukraine, on Feb. 24. (AP/Evgeniy Maloletka)
The mayor of Ukrainian port city Mariupol reported mass casualties on Wednesday as it suffers intense shelling from Russian forces.
"The enemy occupying forces of the Russian Federation have done everything to block the exit of civilians from the city of half a million people," Mayor Vadym Boichenko said in a live broadcast on Ukrainian TV, Reuters reported. No exact casualty toll was provided.
Russia and Ukraine have been battling for seven days as of Wednesday, leaving hundreds of transport facilities, hospitals, kindergartens and houses destroyed.
One hospital in Mariupol formed a makeshift maternity ward and bomb shelter in the basement as it comes under increasing attacks.
"Today there are 128 people in our hospitals. Our doctors don't even go home anymore. They are fighting for the lives of Mariupol residents," Boichenko said.
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Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Wednesday that if a third World War were to start, it would involve nuclear weapons and be destructive, Reuters reported, citing Russian state media.
Lavrov also reportedly said that it would be a "real danger" if Kyiv obtained nuclear weapons.
Police detain demonstrators during an action against Russia's attack on Ukraine in St. Petersburg, Russia, on Tuesday. (AP/Dmitri Lovetsky)
Nearly 7,000 people have been detained in Russia since last Thursday for participating in anti-war demonstrations, according to OVD-Info, which describes itself as an "independent human rights media project dedicated to political persecution in Russia."
The website estimated the exact number of detainees to be 6,852.
Russia on Wednesday is claiming to have captured the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson, which has around 250,000 residents, according to Reuters.
But an advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told the news agency that "the city has not fallen, our side continues to defend" and that street fighting is ongoing there.
Overnight, the regional governor of the area reportedly said Kherson was surrounded and under fire while Russian forces were looting businesses.
Mariupol is a port city along the Sea of Azov. (Fox News)
The mayor of the port city of Mariupol in eastern Ukraine said Wednesday that a Russian military onslaught there has resulted in mass casualties, although he did not give a specific number, Reuters reports.
"The enemy occupying forces of the Russian Federation have done everything to block the exit of civilians from the city of half a million people," Mayor Vadym Boichenko reportedly said.
Current Russian military activity in Ukraine. (Fox News)
Ukraine's State Emergency Service said Wednesday that more than 2,000 civilians have been killed in Russia's invasion, although the number could not be verified, the Associated Press reports.
Steve Gray explained why he says China gains the biggest advantage in the Russia-Ukraine war.
China may emerge as the primary beneficiary of the Russia-Ukraine war, a former FBI special agent who worked on China and North Korea told Fox News Digital.
"Ultimately, China is the big winner in the Russia-Ukraine War," Steve Gray, a former FBI special agent who is running for Congress in New Jersey's 4th Congressional District, said.
"They’ll be the primary beneficiary of the sanctions against Russia, the yen will benefit from the decline of the ruble, and they have been given a case study of what the world’s response would look like if they were to invade Taiwan."
"It would not be surprising at all to learn that this is shaping up exactly as China planned," Gray, who spent 10 years working as a supervisory special agent focused on China and North Korea, added.
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Melaniya Podolyak joined 'Fox & Friends First' to discuss what life is like on the ground in Ukraine amid the Russian invasion.
Russian forces have increased their attacks on crowded Ukraine urban areas, including bombing a TV tower in the capital of Kyiv and continued shelling in Kharkiv.
An airstrike on Tuesday targeted Kyiv’s central TV broadcasting antenna, which temporarily knocked out broadcasting capabilities and left at least five people dead, according to Ukrainian officials. Wednesday marks the seventh day of battling between the two nations.
The destruction also extended to the Holocaust memorial site Babi Yar in Kyiv.
"This is beyond humanity," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Wednesday, according to a translation. "Such missile strike means that, for many Russians, our Kyiv is absolute foreign. They know nothing about our capital, about our history. They have orders to erase our history, our country and all of us."
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The scene of a fire at the Economy Department building of Karazin Kharkiv National University, allegedly hit during recent shelling by Russia on Wednesday. (SERGEY BOBOK/AFP via Getty Images)
Four people gave been killed and nine have been injured so far in airstrikes targeting the city of Kharkiv on Wednesday, Ukraine's state emergency service says.
One of the strikes hit the regional police and intelligence headquarters, blowing off its roof and setting the top floor on fire. Pieces of the five-story building were strewn across adjacent streets, according to videos and photos released by the emergency service.
In Wednesday's strikes, four people died, nine were wounded and rescuers pulled 10 people out of the rubble, the service also said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The United Nations said Wednesday that 136 civilians have been killed in Russia's invasion of Ukraine, including 13 children.
An additional 400 have been injured, but numbers are expected to rise.
“Most of these casualties were caused by the use of explosive weapons with a wide impact area," said Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights spokesperson Liz Throssell. “This includes shelling from heavy artillery and multiple launch rocket systems and airstrikes.”
Friar Marek Viktor Gongalo, from Ukraine, is greeted by Pope Francis during the weekly general audience at the Vatican on Wednesday. The Pope spoke about the elderly parents of Friar Gongalo saying his heart is with them as they hide in an underground refuge near Kiev. Speaking at the end of the weekly audience, the Pope thanked the Polish people for opening their borders, hearts and homes to Ukrainians. (AP/Gregorio Borgia)
Pope Francis told his Wednesday general audience that he is “profoundly grateful” for Poland’s gestures of solidarity with Ukraine during the ongoing invasion.
“You are the first ones who have supported Ukraine opening your borders, your hearts, the doors of your homes to the Ukrainians who are escaping the war,” Francis said. “You are generously offering everything necessary so that they can live in a dignified way despite the dramatic moment.”
The Pope's weekly appointment coincided with Ash Wednesday, which Francis has designated as a day for fasting and prayers for peace in Ukraine.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Chinese President Xi Jinping, right, and Russian President Vladimir Putin talk to each other during their meeting in Beijing, China on Feb. 4. (Alexei Druzhinin, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
China's bank regulator said Wednesday that Beijing won’t join the United States and European governments in imposing financial sanctions on Russia.
China is a top buyer of Russian oil and gas and is the only major government that has refrained from criticizing Moscow’s attack on Ukraine, according to the Associated Press.
Beijing disapproves of sanctions, which it believes lack a legal basis and “will not have a good effect,” said Guo Shuqing, the chairman of the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission.
“We will not join such sanctions, and we will keep normal economic, trade and financial exchanges with all the relevant parties,” Guo added at a news conference. “We disapprove of the financial sanctions."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The Zaporizhzhia plant is located in southeastern Ukraine. (Fox News)
The International Atomic Energy Agency announced Wednesday that it has received a letter from Russia suggesting its military has taken control of the area around Ukraine’s largest nuclear power plant.
The letter says personnel at the Zaporizhzhia plant continued their “work on providing nuclear safety and monitoring radiation in normal mode of operation" and that "radiation levels remain normal.”
Zaporizhzhia is the largest of Ukraine’s nuclear sites, with six out of the country’s 15 reactors.
Already, Russia has seized control of the decommissioned Chernobyl nuclear power plant, scene of the world’s worst nuclear disaster in 1986.
The IAEA says that it has received a request from Ukraine to “provide immediate assistance in coordinating activities in relation to the safety” of Chernobyl and other sites.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the Monday Russian airstrike that took out the Holocaust memorial site Babi Yar in the capital city of Kyiv in a news conference Tuesday, calling the destruction "beyond humanity."
"This is beyond humanity," Zelenskyy said, according to a translation from the Associated Press. "Such missile strike means that, for many Russians, our Kyiv is absolute foreign. They know nothing about our capital, about our history. They have orders to erase our history, our country and all of us."
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov says a Russian delegation is ready to resume talks Wednesday evening with Ukrainian officials, according to the Associated Press.
This will be the second meeting between the two countries after delegations previously met in Belarus.
Tens of thousands of Ukrainian refugees fleeing for their lives have arrived in Moldova, a country on Ukraine’s southern border.
Ukrainian refugees are reportedly being offered jobs in a wide array of fields, including as teachers, construction workers, in the country's burgeoning information technology sector and in the service industry.
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Fox News correspondent Benjamin Hall has the latest developments from Lviv, Ukraine.
Rep. Michael Waltz weighed in on the Ukraine-Russia war and how the smaller country could emerge victorious.
"Whether Ukraine’s forces can withstand Russia’s sheer military numbers remains to be seen, but there are three key components that will lead to a successful Ukrainian resistance: the will to fight, a sanctuary, and arms and other supplies for guerilla warfare," he said.
And, "President Biden must make clear that the United States will continue to stand with the freedom-loving Ukrainian people should their country be overtaken by Russian forces not just with words but bullets."
Cyberwarfare between Russia and Ukraine began well before the first bullets were fired, a cybersecurity expert and former senior CIA official told Fox News.
He also warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin could launch cyberattacks against America’s supply chain in response to economic sanctions.
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Oil prices continue to rise as Russia's attack on Ukraine rages on.
Oil surged another $5 per barrel on Wednesday despite an agreement from the United States and other major governments to release supplies from strategic stockpiles aimed at calming market anxiety. (READ MORE)
On Tuesday, the Ukrainian government issued war bonds to fund their defense against a Russian invasion, raising about 8.1 billion hryvnia (or $270 million).
“The proceeds from the bonds will be used to meet the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and to ensure the uninterrupted provision of the state's financial needs under the war,” Ukraine’s finance ministry said.
United States companies have cut ties with Russia over its invasion of Ukraine:
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.
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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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.
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