It is day 9 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and scores of civilians have lost their lives in the conflict. Armies of both countries have been involved in intense fights since Russian troops entered Ukraine.

Here's a timeline of events since Putin ordered Russian invasion of Ukraine

Ukrainian musicians stuck in Italy are playing for peace. As more Russian troops are entering Ukrainian cities, some musicians are touring Italian cities to raise funds. A prestigious Ukrainian chamber ensemble is holding concerts. The musicians say that their thoughts are with their families & loved ones.

Watch what these Ukrainian musicians did amid Russian invasion

Day 9 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine: WION reports from the conflict zone

Amid the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, around 875,000+ Ukrainians have fled to neighbouring nations. Hungary & Poland will deal with the refugee crisis.

The great exodus continues: Ukrainians arrive in Poland amid Russian invasion of Ukraine

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has entered day 9 and people are leaving the country, However, the situation is tense at the Ukraine-Poland border with reports of discrimination against people of colour.

Harrowing stories from the Ukraine-Poland border: Reports of discrimination against people of colour

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday spoke with Quad leaders and discussed situation in Ukraine. The discussion included humanitarian implications of the conflict. PM Modi emphassed that there was need to return to the path of dialogue and diplomacy.

Quad is a grouping of India, US, Japan and Australia.

US President Joe Biden, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida also took part, in the first such interaction since the leaders of four Quad countries held a summit in September last year in Washington.&nbsp;

The virtual meeting was held amid Russia`s military action in Ukraine. A PMO statement said that the leaders discussed other topical issues, including the situation in Southeast Asia, the Indian Ocean region and the Pacific Islands.&nbsp;

<img alt="Quad statement" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="632d1f0b-88e3-4d0e-8c6f-50c528d71426" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Quad.png" />

PM Modi reiterated the importance "of adhering to the UN Charter, international law and respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity."

"The Prime Minister underlined that the Quad must remain focused on its core objective of promoting peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region. He called for concrete and practical forms of cooperation within the Quad, in areas like Humanitarian and Disaster Relief, debt sustainability, supply chains, clean energy, connectivity, and capacity-building.

"Developments in Ukraine were discussed in the meeting, including its humanitarian implications. The Prime Minister emphasised the need to return to a path of dialogue and diplomacy," the statement said.&nbsp;

The meeting reviewed the progress on Quad initiatives since the September 2021 Quad Summit. The leaders agreed on accelerating cooperation, with an objective to achieve concrete outcomes by the summit in Japan later this year.The leaders agreed to stay in touch and to work towards an ambitious agenda for the forthcoming Leaders` Summit in Japan. The Western countries have imposed sanctions against Russia following its military action.

(With inputs from agencies)

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday spoke with Quad leaders and discussed situation in Ukraine. The discussion included humanitarian implications of the conflict.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday spoke with Quad leaders and discussed situation in Ukraine. The discussion included humanitarian implications of the conflict. PM Modi emphassed that there was need to return to the path of dialogue and diplomacy. Quad is a grouping of India, US, Japan and Australia. US President Joe Biden, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida also took part, in the first such interaction since the leaders of four Quad countries held a summit in September last year in Washington. The virtual meeting was held amid Russia`s military action in Ukraine. A PMO statement said that the leaders discussed other topical issues, including the situation in Southeast Asia, the Indian Ocean region and the Pacific Islands. PM Modi reiterated the importance "of adhering to the UN Charter, international law and respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity." "The Prime Minister underlined that the Quad must remain focused on its core objective of promoting peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region. He called for concrete and practical forms of cooperation within the Quad, in areas like Humanitarian and Disaster Relief, debt sustainability, supply chains, clean energy, connectivity, and capacity-building. "Developments in Ukraine were discussed in the meeting, including its humanitarian implications. The Prime Minister emphasised the need to return to a path of dialogue and diplomacy," the statement said. The meeting reviewed the progress on Quad initiatives since the September 2021 Quad Summit. The leaders agreed on accelerating cooperation, with an objective to achieve concrete outcomes by the summit in Japan later this year.The leaders agreed to stay in touch and to work towards an ambitious agenda for the forthcoming Leaders` Summit in Japan. The Western countries have imposed sanctions against Russia following its military action. (With inputs from agencies)

PM Modi discusses Ukraine situation with Quad leaders

People around the world are voicing their condemnation of the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine. Police in Russia have arrested more than 8,000 anti-war protesters across the country.

Russia-Ukraine Conflict: Protests across the world against Russian invasion

In response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Federation Internationale Feline (FIFe), which is an international cat fancier society, has imposed restrictions on cats bred in Russia.&nbsp;

These restrictions imposed by FIFe are valid until May 31 and will be reviewed as and when necessary. In a statement, the NGO noted that it is "shocked and horrified" that the Russian army invaded Ukraine and "started a war". &nbsp;

It added, "Many innocent people died, many more are wounded and hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians are forced to flee their homes to save their lives. We can all witness the destruction and chaos caused by this unprecedented act of aggression."&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/iafs-evacuation-flights-with-798-indians-land-at-hindon-airbase-pm-modi-monitoring-developments-458411">IAF's evacuation flights with 798 Indians land at Hindon airbase, PM Modi monitoring developments</a>

As per the organisation, no cat bred in Russia may be imported and registered in any FIFe pedigree book outside Russia, regardless of, which organization issued its pedigree.&nbsp;

The statement added, "No cat belonging to exhibitors living in Russia may be entered at any FIFe show outside Russia, regardless of, which organization these exhibitors hold their membership in."&nbsp;

FIFe also stated that it will dedicate a part of its budget to support cat breeders and fanciers in Ukraine who are suffering because of the current situation, the statement added.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-ukraine-conflict-ukraine-attempts-to-embarrass-moscow-invites-russian-mums-to-collect-captured-sons-458383">Ukraine attempts to embarrass Moscow, invites Russian mums to collect captured sons</a>

Meanwhile, the war-like situation continues to escalate as the latest development suggested that Russian troops were in the centre of the Ukrainian port of Kherson on Thursday (March 3). &nbsp;

When Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the "military operations" on February 24, several countries including the UK, the US, Canada, along with the European Union have imposed sanctions on Moscow.&nbsp;

WATCH |&nbsp;US interest rate hike likely in March: Powell testified before US Congress

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In response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Federation Internationale Feline (FIFe), which is an international cat fancier society, has imposed restrictions on cats bred in Russia.

In response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Federation Internationale Feline (FIFe), which is an international cat fancier society, has imposed restrictions on cats bred in Russia. These restrictions imposed by FIFe are valid until May 31 and will be reviewed as and when necessary. In a statement, the NGO noted that it is "shocked and horrified" that the Russian army invaded Ukraine and "started a war". It added, "Many innocent people died, many more are wounded and hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians are forced to flee their homes to save their lives. We can all witness the destruction and chaos caused by this unprecedented act of aggression." ALSO READ | IAF's evacuation flights with 798 Indians land at Hindon airbase, PM Modi monitoring developments As per the organisation, no cat bred in Russia may be imported and registered in any FIFe pedigree book outside Russia, regardless of, which organization issued its pedigree. The statement added, "No cat belonging to exhibitors living in Russia may be entered at any FIFe show outside Russia, regardless of, which organization these exhibitors hold their membership in." FIFe also stated that it will dedicate a part of its budget to support cat breeders and fanciers in Ukraine who are suffering because of the current situation, the statement added. ALSO READ | Ukraine attempts to embarrass Moscow, invites Russian mums to collect captured sons Meanwhile, the war-like situation continues to escalate as the latest development suggested that Russian troops were in the centre of the Ukrainian port of Kherson on Thursday (March 3). When Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the "military operations" on February 24, several countries including the UK, the US, Canada, along with the European Union have imposed sanctions on Moscow. WATCH | US interest rate hike likely in March: Powell testified before US Congress ×

Ukraine crisis: Here's how Russian cats are caught in the crossfire

It is day 8 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and scores of civilians have lost their lives in the conflict. Armies of both countries have been involved in intense fights since Russian troops entered Ukraine. Meanwhile, Maternity Hospital shifted patients to underground basement.

Maternity Hospital shifts patients to underground basement amid Russian invasion of Ukraine

Amid the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, over thousands of Ukrainians have fled to neighbouring nations. Thousands of people march on foot to flee Ukraine.

Thousands of people march on foot to flee Ukraine amid Russian invasion

On a space rocket, a video showing Russia covering the flags of the United States, Japan, and the United Kingdom while leaving the Indian flag intact has gone viral.

Russia has been sanctioned by the United States, the United Kingdom, and Japan for its invasion of Ukraine.

"The launchers at Baikonur decided that without the flags of some countries, our rocket would look more beautiful," Russian space agency ROSCOSMOS' chief Dmitry Rogozin tweeted.

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Стартовики на Байконуре решили, что без флагов некоторых стран наша ракета будет краше выглядеть. <a href="https://t.co/jG1ohimNuX">pic.twitter.com/jG1ohimNuX</a>
— РОГОЗИН (@Rogozin) <a href="https://twitter.com/Rogozin/status/1499043075586469900?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 2, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Also new sanctions have been imposed on Russia as a result of its invasion of Ukraine by countries all around the world.

On Saturday, the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, and Canada prohibited some Russian banks from using SWIFT, a high-security network that connects 11,000 financial institutions in 200 countries.

Following Moscow's moves, Germany suspended certification of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline earlier this week.&nbsp; 
 
Over the weekend, the European Union, the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, Switzerland, Australia, and Taiwan all issued new injunctions against Moscow, condemning the military incursion that occurred in the previous 24 hours. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

On a space rocket, a video showing Russia covering the flags of the United States, Japan, and the United Kingdom while leaving the Indian flag intact has gone viral.

On a space rocket, a video showing Russia covering the flags of the United States, Japan, and the United Kingdom while leaving the Indian flag intact has gone viral. Russia has been sanctioned by the United States, the United Kingdom, and Japan for its invasion of Ukraine. "The launchers at Baikonur decided that without the flags of some countries, our rocket would look more beautiful," Russian space agency ROSCOSMOS' chief Dmitry Rogozin tweeted. Стартовики на Байконуре решили, что без флагов некоторых стран наша ракета будет краше выглядеть. pic.twitter.com/jG1ohimNuX — РОГОЗИН (@Rogozin) March 2, 2022 × Also new sanctions have been imposed on Russia as a result of its invasion of Ukraine by countries all around the world. On Saturday, the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, and Canada prohibited some Russian banks from using SWIFT, a high-security network that connects 11,000 financial institutions in 200 countries. Following Moscow's moves, Germany suspended certification of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline earlier this week. Over the weekend, the European Union, the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, Switzerland, Australia, and Taiwan all issued new injunctions against Moscow, condemning the military incursion that occurred in the previous 24 hours. (With inputs from agencies)

Watch | Russia removes US, UK, Japan flags from rocket, but keeps India's Tricolour

I grew up in a land of lies and bones, with the dead being erased or subsumed by the Kremlin, which refused to see Ukraine as a nation, imposing a Soviet identity over us all.

Today, we’re witnessing the same nihilistic violence unfold in real time, in a campaign of bullets and bombs dropped over Ukraine. “I’m OK,” terrified friends in Kharkiv and Kyiv keep telling me. What else is there to tell? We know this war isn’t new; in some ways we have always expected it to resume.

I remember the pockmarks. My father and I were coming home after a walk in a small park filled with lilacs near our apartment in Kharkiv (then called Kharkov) when Ukraine was still a Soviet republic. “Why are there holes there?” I asked my father, pointing to a cluster of ugly craters, chipped into a corner of our apartment block.

“It’s from the war,” he told me. It was the mid-1980s, nearly half a century after World War II had ended. The artillery scars are still in my mind. It’s one of my earliest childhood memories.

It was impossible to grow up in Ukraine without witnessing the violence the land had seen. We clambered around old tanks proudly displayed in parks and squares, lumbering monuments to World War II. We learned of this history at dinner tables and in elementary schools, in stories passed down of famine and invasions, from the Mongol destruction of Kyivan Rus in the 13th century to the Nazi attack in 1941 to the Soviet purges.

By the 1980s the country was in many ways a giant mass grave, a grave the size of Texas. And yet we were not encouraged to see it as a Ukrainian story, but as a Soviet one, a collective amnesia pushed out from the Kremlin across the Soviet states.

The story of modern Ukraine begins a little over 100 years ago, at the end of World War I, when new states were crawling out of the ruins of defeated empires across Europe. Ukraine, however, was fractured. The region ended up in two pieces: the eastern and central parcels were annexed by the Soviet Union; the western region, known as Eastern Galicia, which had once belonged to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, was tacked on to Poland. Both were about to enter decades of suffering.

Warsaw, which had just regained its sovereignty for the first time in 123 years, wasn’t keen on permitting a distinct Ukrainian identity to develop in Eastern Galicia; the 1920s saw an increasing crackdown on Ukrainian culture, churches and schools. When Ukrainian nationalists began waging a campaign of terrorism and assassination against what they viewed as a Polish occupation of Ukrainian soil, Warsaw responded with the 1930 “pacification of Eastern Galicia,” a euphemism for brutal suppression of Ukrainians.

But the situation in Poland paled in comparison to the genocide Stalin perpetuated on the Soviet part of Ukraine. From 1932 through 1933, Soviet commissars began seizing grain and food from Ukrainian peasants in the name of Communist collectivization, part of a vicious backlash against the independent farmers whom Moscow deemed to be too successful and therefore too greedy.

The seizure of food turned Ukraine into an apocalyptic wasteland plagued by famine. People dropped dead on the streets. Ukrainians ate dirt, grass, food waste. Reports of cannibalism were widespread, and parents were said to have eaten their children. About 3.9 million Ukrainians perished in what became known as Holodomor — “death by hunger” in Ukrainian. But killing them wasn’t enough. As a final insult, Stalin, who was infamous for erasing enemies from photographs, forbade talk of the famine and ensured statistics were altered to hide the deaths, as if his victims had never existed.

Less than a decade later, the Nazis seized Ukraine. Some 1.5 million Ukrainian Jews were killed, most by mobile Nazi death squads known as Einsatzgruppen, aided by local collaborators in what later became known as the Holocaust of bullets. Babyn Yar, just outside of Kyiv, became the final resting place for 33,000 Jews mowed down in just days. Destruction was not limited to the Jews. Cities, including Kharkiv, were reduced to swaths of rubble. Over two million Ukrainians were pressed into slave labor in Germany. Hunger descended again. In all, because of war and famine and destruction, five million to seven million Ukrainians lost their lives. Nearly 200,000 Crimean Tatars, Muslims who lived in Ukraine for centuries, were deported to Central Asia; tens of thousands died as a result.

The end of German occupation didn’t end the suffering, it only brought renewed Soviet repression. The U.S.S.R. couldn’t abide any identity that challenged Soviet dominance, whether in individuals or nations. For 40 years after the war, Russia methodically swept aside the Ukrainian language and culture, leaving behind a landscape of soulless Soviet kitsch, red stars and slogans and tomes of speeches by Lenin. Ukrainian identity was vestigial and subservient; I still remember my school showing us drawings of peasants in vyshyvanki — traditional Ukrainian embroidered shirts — insipidly smiling while waving Soviet flags.

The Kremlin also suppressed Holocaust remembrance, which it saw as potentially dangerous because it facilitated Jewish communal identity. For decades, the bodies of hundreds of thousands of Jews remained strewn in Nazi killing pits throughout Ukraine without so much as a grave marker. When the regime did permit memorials, the dead were invariably referred to as “peaceful Soviet citizens,” their Jewish identity purposefully omitted.

When I was still a child, in 1986, an explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear plant spewed a radioactive cloud through Ukraine and Belarus. Heroic local volunteers and firefighters put out the radioactive inferno, preventing a second explosion that could have decimated half of Europe; many died horrific deaths in the process and in the aftermath. A large area of land was rendered uninhabitable and remains so today. Moscow stifled discussion of Chernobyl as it happened, cloaking the accident in secrecy and propaganda.

Three years later my parents, my grandmother, my sister and I — along with thousands of other Soviet Jews — fled for Vienna. It was from America that we watched, in 1991, as the Soviet Union crumbled and the Iron Curtain was drawn back. Ukraine gained its independence, but promises of democracy were soon mired in endemic corruption.

In 2004, the Orange Revolution saw hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians reverse the outcome of a fraudulent presidential election. In the winter of 2013-14, millions joined the Euromaidan uprising, demanding that Ukraine enter into a partnership agreement with the European Union. Shortly after, Russia illegally annexed the Crimean peninsula while Russian-backed separatists launched an anti-Euromaidan uprising in the east of the country.

I wonder if our old pockmarked apartment building in Kharkiv has new scars, if it’ll even be standing tomorrow. My American friends were emailing and texting, expressing sympathy, asking what they could do. I didn’t respond to some of them; I couldn’t. America wants solutions and happy endings, and I couldn’t tell my friends the reality — there’s nothing they or I can do.

But that isn’t entirely true. President Vladimir Putin of Russia, who denies that Ukraine is a sovereign nation, is waging far more than a physical war: He, like his predecessors in the Kremlin, is working to erase the very concept of Ukraine from existence. With each new report of a Russian bombing, I find myself becoming more Ukrainian, seizing the identity that first the Soviet Union — and now Russia — has long fought to suppress.

I hope others can help keep Ukraine alive. Learn the history. Light a candle on Holodomor Remembrance Day in November. Mourn the dead. Remember Ukraine.

I grew up in a land of lies and bones, with the dead being erased or subsumed by the Kremlin, which refused to see Ukraine as a nation, imposing a Soviet identity over us all.

I grew up in a land of lies and bones, with the dead being erased or subsumed by the Kremlin, which refused to see Ukraine as a nation, imposing a Soviet identity over us all. Today, we’re witnessing the same nihilistic violence unfold in real time, in a campaign of bullets and bombs dropped over Ukraine. “I’m OK,” terrified friends in Kharkiv and Kyiv keep telling me. What else is there to tell? We know this war isn’t new; in some ways we have always expected it to resume. I remember the pockmarks. My father and I were coming home after a walk in a small park filled with lilacs near our apartment in Kharkiv (then called Kharkov) when Ukraine was still a Soviet republic. “Why are there holes there?” I asked my father, pointing to a cluster of ugly craters, chipped into a corner of our apartment block. “It’s from the war,” he told me. It was the mid-1980s, nearly half a century after World War II had ended. The artillery scars are still in my mind. It’s one of my earliest childhood memories. It was impossible to grow up in Ukraine without witnessing the violence the land had seen. We clambered around old tanks proudly displayed in parks and squares, lumbering monuments to World War II. We learned of this history at dinner tables and in elementary schools, in stories passed down of famine and invasions, from the Mongol destruction of Kyivan Rus in the 13th century to the Nazi attack in 1941 to the Soviet purges. By the 1980s the country was in many ways a giant mass grave, a grave the size of Texas. And yet we were not encouraged to see it as a Ukrainian story, but as a Soviet one, a collective amnesia pushed out from the Kremlin across the Soviet states. The story of modern Ukraine begins a little over 100 years ago, at the end of World War I, when new states were crawling out of the ruins of defeated empires across Europe. Ukraine, however, was fractured. The region ended up in two pieces: the eastern and central parcels were annexed by the Soviet Union; the western region, known as Eastern Galicia, which had once belonged to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, was tacked on to Poland. Both were about to enter decades of suffering. Warsaw, which had just regained its sovereignty for the first time in 123 years, wasn’t keen on permitting a distinct Ukrainian identity to develop in Eastern Galicia; the 1920s saw an increasing crackdown on Ukrainian culture, churches and schools. When Ukrainian nationalists began waging a campaign of terrorism and assassination against what they viewed as a Polish occupation of Ukrainian soil, Warsaw responded with the 1930 “pacification of Eastern Galicia,” a euphemism for brutal suppression of Ukrainians. But the situation in Poland paled in comparison to the genocide Stalin perpetuated on the Soviet part of Ukraine. From 1932 through 1933, Soviet commissars began seizing grain and food from Ukrainian peasants in the name of Communist collectivization, part of a vicious backlash against the independent farmers whom Moscow deemed to be too successful and therefore too greedy. The seizure of food turned Ukraine into an apocalyptic wasteland plagued by famine. People dropped dead on the streets. Ukrainians ate dirt, grass, food waste. Reports of cannibalism were widespread, and parents were said to have eaten their children. About 3.9 million Ukrainians perished in what became known as Holodomor — “death by hunger” in Ukrainian. But killing them wasn’t enough. As a final insult, Stalin, who was infamous for erasing enemies from photographs, forbade talk of the famine and ensured statistics were altered to hide the deaths, as if his victims had never existed. Less than a decade later, the Nazis seized Ukraine. Some 1.5 million Ukrainian Jews were killed, most by mobile Nazi death squads known as Einsatzgruppen, aided by local collaborators in what later became known as the Holocaust of bullets. Babyn Yar, just outside of Kyiv, became the final resting place for 33,000 Jews mowed down in just days. Destruction was not limited to the Jews. Cities, including Kharkiv, were reduced to swaths of rubble. Over two million Ukrainians were pressed into slave labor in Germany. Hunger descended again. In all, because of war and famine and destruction, five million to seven million Ukrainians lost their lives. Nearly 200,000 Crimean Tatars, Muslims who lived in Ukraine for centuries, were deported to Central Asia; tens of thousands died as a result. The end of German occupation didn’t end the suffering, it only brought renewed Soviet repression. The U.S.S.R. couldn’t abide any identity that challenged Soviet dominance, whether in individuals or nations. For 40 years after the war, Russia methodically swept aside the Ukrainian language and culture, leaving behind a landscape of soulless Soviet kitsch, red stars and slogans and tomes of speeches by Lenin. Ukrainian identity was vestigial and subservient; I still remember my school showing us drawings of peasants in vyshyvanki — traditional Ukrainian embroidered shirts — insipidly smiling while waving Soviet flags. The Kremlin also suppressed Holocaust remembrance, which it saw as potentially dangerous because it facilitated Jewish communal identity. For decades, the bodies of hundreds of thousands of Jews remained strewn in Nazi killing pits throughout Ukraine without so much as a grave marker. When the regime did permit memorials, the dead were invariably referred to as “peaceful Soviet citizens,” their Jewish identity purposefully omitted. When I was still a child, in 1986, an explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear plant spewed a radioactive cloud through Ukraine and Belarus. Heroic local volunteers and firefighters put out the radioactive inferno, preventing a second explosion that could have decimated half of Europe; many died horrific deaths in the process and in the aftermath. A large area of land was rendered uninhabitable and remains so today. Moscow stifled discussion of Chernobyl as it happened, cloaking the accident in secrecy and propaganda. Three years later my parents, my grandmother, my sister and I — along with thousands of other Soviet Jews — fled for Vienna. It was from America that we watched, in 1991, as the Soviet Union crumbled and the Iron Curtain was drawn back. Ukraine gained its independence, but promises of democracy were soon mired in endemic corruption. In 2004, the Orange Revolution saw hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians reverse the outcome of a fraudulent presidential election. In the winter of 2013-14, millions joined the Euromaidan uprising, demanding that Ukraine enter into a partnership agreement with the European Union. Shortly after, Russia illegally annexed the Crimean peninsula while Russian-backed separatists launched an anti-Euromaidan uprising in the east of the country. I wonder if our old pockmarked apartment building in Kharkiv has new scars, if it’ll even be standing tomorrow. My American friends were emailing and texting, expressing sympathy, asking what they could do. I didn’t respond to some of them; I couldn’t. America wants solutions and happy endings, and I couldn’t tell my friends the reality — there’s nothing they or I can do. But that isn’t entirely true. President Vladimir Putin of Russia, who denies that Ukraine is a sovereign nation, is waging far more than a physical war: He, like his predecessors in the Kremlin, is working to erase the very concept of Ukraine from existence. With each new report of a Russian bombing, I find myself becoming more Ukrainian, seizing the identity that first the Soviet Union — and now Russia — has long fought to suppress. I hope others can help keep Ukraine alive. Learn the history. Light a candle on Holodomor Remembrance Day in November. Mourn the dead. Remember Ukraine.

The Ukraine of my childhood is being erased

The Nepali government has reached out to the Indian government for the evacuation of its stranded nationals. New Delhi has given a positive response to Nepal's request.

Operation Ganga: India is undertaking a mega evacuation mission to evacuate its nationals from Ukraine, via its neighbouring countries like Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, and Romania.&nbsp;

On February 28th, at a United Nations Security Council meeting on the Ukraine crisis, Indian envoy to UN TS Tirumurti said, "We stand ready to help those from our neighbours and developing countries who are also stranded in Ukraine and may seek assistance. We also support all UN humanitarian efforts. "

In the past, India has also evacuated nationals from neighbouring countries during times of crisis. Amid the COVID crisis, India evacuated nationals of the Maldives, Nepal, and Bangladesh from China. Last year, when Afghanistan fell to the Taliban, India facilitated the evacuation of Nepali nationals from the country. In response to a question if India will help evacuate foreign nationals, Ministry of external affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, "In principle, we are always ready to help other countries. If we get any specific requests, then our attitude towards them will be guided by this."

Since India issued its advisories, about 17,000 Indian nationals have left the Ukraine. During the last 24 hours, under Operation Ganga, six flights have landed in India, taking the total number of flights that have landed in India to 15 and the total number of Indians who have returned on these flights to 3,352.

The MEA control room has now attended 9,874 calls, nearly 10,000 calls, and responded to 7,657 emails. 
 
The Indian Air Force has also pitched in for evacuation efforts. The fourth flight of the Indian Air Force C-17 from Bucharest landed at the Hindan Air Base at Ghaziabad earlier today with 180 Indian nationals who left Ukraine. Today, the IAF is operating three more flights to various locations in the neighbourhood of the war-torn country.

The Nepali government has reached out to the Indian government for the evacuation of its stranded nationals. New Delhi has given a positive response to Nepal's request.

The Nepali government has reached out to the Indian government for the evacuation of its stranded nationals. New Delhi has given a positive response to Nepal's request. Operation Ganga: India is undertaking a mega evacuation mission to evacuate its nationals from Ukraine, via its neighbouring countries like Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, and Romania. On February 28th, at a United Nations Security Council meeting on the Ukraine crisis, Indian envoy to UN TS Tirumurti said, "We stand ready to help those from our neighbours and developing countries who are also stranded in Ukraine and may seek assistance. We also support all UN humanitarian efforts. " In the past, India has also evacuated nationals from neighbouring countries during times of crisis. Amid the COVID crisis, India evacuated nationals of the Maldives, Nepal, and Bangladesh from China. Last year, when Afghanistan fell to the Taliban, India facilitated the evacuation of Nepali nationals from the country. In response to a question if India will help evacuate foreign nationals, Ministry of external affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, "In principle, we are always ready to help other countries. If we get any specific requests, then our attitude towards them will be guided by this." Since India issued its advisories, about 17,000 Indian nationals have left the Ukraine. During the last 24 hours, under Operation Ganga, six flights have landed in India, taking the total number of flights that have landed in India to 15 and the total number of Indians who have returned on these flights to 3,352. The MEA control room has now attended 9,874 calls, nearly 10,000 calls, and responded to 7,657 emails. The Indian Air Force has also pitched in for evacuation efforts. The fourth flight of the Indian Air Force C-17 from Bucharest landed at the Hindan Air Base at Ghaziabad earlier today with 180 Indian nationals who left Ukraine. Today, the IAF is operating three more flights to various locations in the neighbourhood of the war-torn country.

Ukraine crisis: Nepal asks India to evacuate its nationals; gets positive response

Amid the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, scores of students have been trying to flee the conflict. Among these are two Indian love birds who hope for the war to end.

Story of two love birds from India: Two Indian students fled Ukraine amid Russian invasion

It is day 8 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and scores of civilians have lost their lives in the conflict. Armies of both countries have been involved in intense fights since Russian troops entered Ukraine.

Hospitals move patients to basements as a 40-mile-long armed Russian convoy encircles Kyiv

Amid the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, over 670,000 Ukrainians have fled to neighbouring nations. In the latest, Berlin has welcomed refugees from Kyiv.

Berlin welcomes refugees from Kyiv as over 670,000 Ukrainians flee the country amid Russian invasion

Vladimir Putin's invasion into Ukraine has been met with global condemnation and sanctions but it is the citizens within Russia who are facing the brunt of the war as mass detentions are adding to the burden of economic woes. Russian protesters took to the street in Moscow & Saint Petersburg against the invasion. Meanwhile, global protests have also intensified.

Decoding public sentiment in Russia: Russians continue to protest against the war

India's ministry of external affairs said that the embassy in Ukraine is in "continuous touch" with Indian nationals in Ukraine and also noted that the authorities cooperated while evacuating students from war-torn Ukraine.&nbsp;

On Thursday (March 3), PTI reported quoting sources said the Indian Air Force's four evacuation flights with 798 Indians from the Romanian capital Bucharest, Hungary's Budapest and Polish city Rzeszow landed at the Hindon airbase in India.&nbsp;

Sources also noted that the Union Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt welcomed the students after the IAF's first flight carrying 200 people from Bucharest landed at 1.30am (local time).&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-ukraine-conflict-ukraine-attempts-to-embarrass-moscow-invites-russian-mums-to-collect-captured-sons-458383">Ukraine attempts to embarrass Moscow, invites Russian mums to collect captured sons</a>

As quoted by India-based news agency ANI, Bhatt said, "We are taking care of every student returning from Ukraine. Our four Union ministers are taking care of every aspect of evacuation operations in different neighbouring countries of Ukraine. Operation Ganga is progressing successfully".&nbsp;

Bhatt interacted with the evacuees and said that the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself is monitoring all developments.&nbsp;

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a> Fourth IAF aircraft carrying Indians rescued from Ukraine arrives at Hindan airbase near Delhi; MoS Defence Ajay Bhatt interacts with the evacuees 
 
I welcome you all on your safe return to our motherland... PM Modi himself is monitoring all developments, he says. <a href="https://t.co/nxQ2X4z9m0">pic.twitter.com/nxQ2X4z9m0</a>
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ALSO READ |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/a-casus-belli-amid-ukraine-crisis-russia-space-agency-head-says-satellite-hacking-would-justify-war-458357">&nbsp;'A casus belli': Amid Ukraine crisis, Russia space agency head says satellite hacking would justify war</a>

Important to note that India has been evacuating its citizens through special flights from Ukraine's western neighbours such as Romania, Hungary and Poland as the Ukrainian airspace has been shut since February 24.&nbsp;

To facilitate the evacuation of Indian nationals, four Indian ministers have gone to Ukraine's western neighbours. Hardeep Singh Puri is in Hungary, Jyotiraditya Scindia is in Romania, Kiren Rijiju is in Slovakia and V K Singh is in Poland.&nbsp;

WATCH |&nbsp;Indian PM Modi speaks to President Putin, Russians volunteer to evacuate Indians from Ukraine

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India's ministry of external affairs said that the embassy in Ukraine is in "continuous touch" with Indian nationals in Ukraine and also noted that the authorities cooperated while evacuating students from war-torn Ukraine.

India's ministry of external affairs said that the embassy in Ukraine is in "continuous touch" with Indian nationals in Ukraine and also noted that the authorities cooperated while evacuating students from war-torn Ukraine. On Thursday (March 3), PTI reported quoting sources said the Indian Air Force's four evacuation flights with 798 Indians from the Romanian capital Bucharest, Hungary's Budapest and Polish city Rzeszow landed at the Hindon airbase in India. Sources also noted that the Union Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt welcomed the students after the IAF's first flight carrying 200 people from Bucharest landed at 1.30am (local time). ALSO READ | Ukraine attempts to embarrass Moscow, invites Russian mums to collect captured sons As quoted by India-based news agency ANI, Bhatt said, "We are taking care of every student returning from Ukraine. Our four Union ministers are taking care of every aspect of evacuation operations in different neighbouring countries of Ukraine. Operation Ganga is progressing successfully". Bhatt interacted with the evacuees and said that the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself is monitoring all developments. #WATCH Fourth IAF aircraft carrying Indians rescued from Ukraine arrives at Hindan airbase near Delhi; MoS Defence Ajay Bhatt interacts with the evacuees I welcome you all on your safe return to our motherland... PM Modi himself is monitoring all developments, he says. pic.twitter.com/nxQ2X4z9m0 — ANI (@ANI) March 3, 2022 × ALSO READ | 'A casus belli': Amid Ukraine crisis, Russia space agency head says satellite hacking would justify war Important to note that India has been evacuating its citizens through special flights from Ukraine's western neighbours such as Romania, Hungary and Poland as the Ukrainian airspace has been shut since February 24. To facilitate the evacuation of Indian nationals, four Indian ministers have gone to Ukraine's western neighbours. Hardeep Singh Puri is in Hungary, Jyotiraditya Scindia is in Romania, Kiren Rijiju is in Slovakia and V K Singh is in Poland. WATCH | Indian PM Modi speaks to President Putin, Russians volunteer to evacuate Indians from Ukraine ×

IAF's evacuation flights with 798 Indians land at Hindon airbase, PM Modi monitoring developments

Amid the ongoing invasion of Ukraine, Fitch slashed Russia's sovereign rating to junk status. S&P also lowered Russia's rating to junk status in a big blow.

Amid the ongoing invasion of Ukraine, Fitch slashes Russia's sovereign rating to junk status

Amid the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, scores of students have been trying to flee the conflict. IAF's C-17 aircraft airlifts Indians from Romania

India ramps up evacuation efforts: IAF's C-17 aircraft airlifts Indians from Romania

One million people have fled Ukraine in less than a week since Russia's invasion, the UN refugee agency said on Thursday. &nbsp;

It is one of the biggest refugee crises in 100 years, said UN.

The UN High Commissioner’s tally for refugees is more than 2% of Ukraine's population, which was 44 million at the end of 2020 as per World Bank. &nbsp;&nbsp;

In an email, UNHCR spokeswoman Joung-ah Ghedini-Williams wrote, "Our data indicates we passed the 1M mark" as of midnight in central Europe. It is based on counts collected by the national authorities. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/to-unravel-truth-iccs-prosecutor-starts-investigation-into-possible-war-crimes-in-ukraine-458350" hreflang="en">ICC's prosecutor starts investigation into possible war crimes in Ukraine</a>

On Twitter, UN High Commissioner Filippo Grandi wrote, "In just seven days, we have witnessed the exodus of one million refugees from Ukraine to neighbouring countries." &nbsp;

Grandi also appealed for the "guns to fall silent" in Ukraine so humanitarian aid could reach millions of people still inside Ukraine. &nbsp;&nbsp;

The UN officials and others have also praised the response of Ukraine's neighbours, who have opened gymnasiums, homes and other facilities to take in the refugees. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russian-billionaires-600-million-luxury-yacht-seized-by-german-authorities-says-report-458362" hreflang="en">Russian billionaire’s $600 million luxury yacht seized by German authorities, says report</a>

UNHCR spokeswoman Shabia Mantoo said on Wednesday that "at this rate, the outflows from Ukraine could make it the source of the biggest refugee crisis in this century." &nbsp;&nbsp;

Over 505,000 refugees from Ukraine have gone to Poland and more than 116,000 travelled to Hungary. Moldova has taken in over 79,000 and 71,200 had entered Slovakia, as per the latest figures on UNHCR's online data portal.&nbsp;&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

One million people have fled Ukraine in less than a week since Russia's invasion, the UN refugee agency said on Thursday. It is one of the biggest refugee crises in 100 years, said UN.

One million people have fled Ukraine in less than a week since Russia's invasion, the UN refugee agency said on Thursday. It is one of the biggest refugee crises in 100 years, said UN. The UN High Commissioner’s tally for refugees is more than 2% of Ukraine's population, which was 44 million at the end of 2020 as per World Bank. In an email, UNHCR spokeswoman Joung-ah Ghedini-Williams wrote, "Our data indicates we passed the 1M mark" as of midnight in central Europe. It is based on counts collected by the national authorities. Also Read: ICC's prosecutor starts investigation into possible war crimes in Ukraine On Twitter, UN High Commissioner Filippo Grandi wrote, "In just seven days, we have witnessed the exodus of one million refugees from Ukraine to neighbouring countries." Grandi also appealed for the "guns to fall silent" in Ukraine so humanitarian aid could reach millions of people still inside Ukraine. The UN officials and others have also praised the response of Ukraine's neighbours, who have opened gymnasiums, homes and other facilities to take in the refugees. Also Read: Russian billionaire’s $600 million luxury yacht seized by German authorities, says report UNHCR spokeswoman Shabia Mantoo said on Wednesday that "at this rate, the outflows from Ukraine could make it the source of the biggest refugee crisis in this century." Over 505,000 refugees from Ukraine have gone to Poland and more than 116,000 travelled to Hungary. Moldova has taken in over 79,000 and 71,200 had entered Slovakia, as per the latest figures on UNHCR's online data portal. (With inputs from agencies)

Russia-Ukraine conflict: In a week, one million flee fighting in biggest refugee crisis in 100 years, says UN

Russia and Ukraine are set to hold another round of negotiations. The venue for the second round of talks has not been revealed yet, the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that negotiations will be held today he added that there will be no change in the Ukrainian delegation.

Zelensky confirms no change in the Ukrainian delegation as Russia, Ukraine to hold round 2 of talks

The United States has announced more sanctions. This time the targets happen to be Russia's defence industry and its ally Belarus in response to Belarus' support of the Russian war.

Washington steps up pressure on Moscow: Russian defence industry sanctioned amid invasion of Ukraine

In southern Ukraine, Russia today claimed to have taken over the southern city of Kherson this would make it the largest in Ukraine to be captured by Russian forces so far. The city mayor had earlier reported that Russian forces were seen on the city streets, Russian troops had taken over its train station and its port.

Russian Defence Ministry claims control of Kherson city in Ukraine

Thirty-three people died Thursday when Russian forces hit residential areas, including schools and a high-rise apartment building, in the northern Ukrainian city of&nbsp;Chernihiv, officials said.

Ukraine's emergencies service said 18 people were also injured in the attack, updating an earlier toll.

The town of&nbsp;Chernihiv&nbsp;lies 120 kilometres (75 miles) northeast of Kyiv, which the Russian forces have been trying to invade from the north.

Chernihiv's deputy mayor Regina Gusak told AFP that the city was hit by a Russian "bombing attack".

Ukraine's emergencies service released images showing plumes of smoke coming out of heavily damaged apartments, with debris scattered across a yard and rescuers carrying bodies on stretchers.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/live-russia-claims-to-have-besieged-two-big-cities-in-ukraine-455211">Also read |&nbsp;Live | Ukraine war: Worst is to come, Macron believes after call with Putin</a>

"Russian aircraft also attacked two schools in the Staraya Podusivka area (of&nbsp;Chernihiv) and private homes. Rescuers are working in the area," the governor of the&nbsp;Chernihiv&nbsp;region, Vyacheslav Chaus, said on Telegram.&nbsp;

Since it invaded Ukraine a week ago, Russia has said that it does not target civilian areas, despite widespread evidence to the contrary.

Ukraine says at least 350 civilians have been killed since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his attack.

The strikes came as Ukraine and Russia officials gathered for talks on a ceasefire on the Belarus-Poland border Thursday.&nbsp;

Putin on Thursday vowed to carry on with his advance in Ukraine in a phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron.

The Russian leader has showed no signs of backing down even as a barrage of Western sanctions is set to destroy Moscow's economy.&nbsp;

Thirty-three people died Thursday when Russian forces hit residential areas, including schools and a high-rise apartment building, in the northern Ukrainian city of Chernihiv, officials said.

Thirty-three people died Thursday when Russian forces hit residential areas, including schools and a high-rise apartment building, in the northern Ukrainian city of Chernihiv, officials said. Ukraine's emergencies service said 18 people were also injured in the attack, updating an earlier toll. The town of Chernihiv lies 120 kilometres (75 miles) northeast of Kyiv, which the Russian forces have been trying to invade from the north. Chernihiv's deputy mayor Regina Gusak told AFP that the city was hit by a Russian "bombing attack". Ukraine's emergencies service released images showing plumes of smoke coming out of heavily damaged apartments, with debris scattered across a yard and rescuers carrying bodies on stretchers. Also read | Live | Ukraine war: Worst is to come, Macron believes after call with Putin "Russian aircraft also attacked two schools in the Staraya Podusivka area (of Chernihiv) and private homes. Rescuers are working in the area," the governor of the Chernihiv region, Vyacheslav Chaus, said on Telegram. Since it invaded Ukraine a week ago, Russia has said that it does not target civilian areas, despite widespread evidence to the contrary. Ukraine says at least 350 civilians have been killed since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his attack. The strikes came as Ukraine and Russia officials gathered for talks on a ceasefire on the Belarus-Poland border Thursday. Putin on Thursday vowed to carry on with his advance in Ukraine in a phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron. The Russian leader has showed no signs of backing down even as a barrage of Western sanctions is set to destroy Moscow's economy.

Thirty-three people killed in Russian strike on Ukraine's Chernihiv

Spotify said on Wednesday it has closed its office in Russia indefinitely in response to what the audio streaming platform described as Moscow`s "unprovoked attack on Ukraine." 
 
Since July 2021, Russian legislation signed by President Vladimir Putin has obliged foreign social media companies with more than 500,000 daily users to open local offices or be subject to restrictions as severe as outright bans. 
 
Ahead of the March deadline, only a few companies, including Spotify, had complied. 
 
Since Russia`s invasion of Ukraine last week, which Moscow calls a “special operation,” Western governments have urged companies to push back on Putin in any way possible. 
 
"Our first priority over the past week has been the safety of our employees and to ensure that Spotify continues to serve as an important source of global and regional news at a time when access to information is more important than ever," Spotify said in a statement. 
 
Spotify said it has reviewed thousands of pieces of content since the start of the war, and restricted the discoverability of shows owned and operated by Russian state-affiliated media. 
 
Earlier this week, it also removed all content from state media RT and Sputnik from Spotify in the European Union, the United States and other markets around the world, except for Russia, following similar steps by Meta Platforms Inc`s Facebook and Twitter. 
 
Sputnik on Wednesday said by email that "any restrictions on members of the press are blatant censorship and the dirtiest example of freedom of speech violations." 
 
RT said earlier this week that tech companies removing it had failed to cite any issues with its coverage. Spotify said it would match employee donations, two-to-one, to support local humanitarian efforts.

Spotify said on Wednesday it has closed its office in Russia indefinitely in response to what the audio streaming platform described as Moscow`s "unprovoked attack on Ukraine.

Spotify said on Wednesday it has closed its office in Russia indefinitely in response to what the audio streaming platform described as Moscow`s "unprovoked attack on Ukraine." Since July 2021, Russian legislation signed by President Vladimir Putin has obliged foreign social media companies with more than 500,000 daily users to open local offices or be subject to restrictions as severe as outright bans. Ahead of the March deadline, only a few companies, including Spotify, had complied. Since Russia`s invasion of Ukraine last week, which Moscow calls a “special operation,” Western governments have urged companies to push back on Putin in any way possible. "Our first priority over the past week has been the safety of our employees and to ensure that Spotify continues to serve as an important source of global and regional news at a time when access to information is more important than ever," Spotify said in a statement. Spotify said it has reviewed thousands of pieces of content since the start of the war, and restricted the discoverability of shows owned and operated by Russian state-affiliated media. Earlier this week, it also removed all content from state media RT and Sputnik from Spotify in the European Union, the United States and other markets around the world, except for Russia, following similar steps by Meta Platforms Inc`s Facebook and Twitter. Sputnik on Wednesday said by email that "any restrictions on members of the press are blatant censorship and the dirtiest example of freedom of speech violations." RT said earlier this week that tech companies removing it had failed to cite any issues with its coverage. Spotify said it would match employee donations, two-to-one, to support local humanitarian efforts.

Spotify closes its office in Russia in response to attack on Ukraine

In Pics | Who are Ukraine’s far-right Azov regiment? Here is what you should know

It is day 8 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine but since day one the only question that people have been asking is what is Putin's endgame? What will he do if and when Ukraine falls. Western intelligence suggests that the main aim is to decapitate the government, remove the president Zelensky and install a puppet regime.

Russia-Ukraine Conflict: Moscow trying to install puppet regime in Ukraine?

Poland at forefront of hosting refugees from Ukraine amid Russian invasion

The EU on Thursday agreed to approve temporary protection for&nbsp;refugees&nbsp;fleeing the war in Ukraine -- so far numbered at one million -&nbsp;while also setting up a humanitarian hub in Romania.

The moves by the European Union came in parallel to its muscular sanctions on Russia imposed in successive waves over the course of the invasion, now in its eighth day.

EU interior ministers agreed in a Brussels meeting to activate a temporary protection mechanism drawn up two decades ago -- in response to the wars in the former Yugoslavia -- but never used.

European home affairs commissioner Ylva Johansson, who attended the meeting, tweeted that it was a "historic decision".&nbsp;

French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said: "The European Union will accord temporary protection to all those fleeing the war in Ukraine."

Darmanin's phrasing was significant. While most of those pouring out of Ukraine -- mainly women and children because men of fighting age were compelled to stay -- are Ukrainian, there were also many Indian students and other nationalities trapped when Russia invaded.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/live-russia-claims-to-have-besieged-two-big-cities-in-ukraine-455211">Also read |&nbsp;Live | Ukraine war: Worst is to come, Macron believes after call with Putin</a>

"The significance of this moment for Europe cannot be underestimated," the Oxfam charity said in a statement, calling it "a turning point for Europe".

It said the EU protection mechanism "offers a direct lifeline to people fleeing from danger in Ukraine" and now "all EU member states need to chip in and take responsibility". &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

A majority of member states was needed to adopt the protection mechanism. With political agreement reached, it was expected to come into force within days, once the EU legislation is finalised.

'Paradigm shift'

Under a text submitted by the European Commission,&nbsp;refugees&nbsp;from Ukraine and their family members would receive a residence permit and the right to access work and education for an initial year, renewable every six months for a total of two years.

Currently, Ukrainians with passports bearing biometric data have only the right to visit the EU's Schengen area for up to three months, without the right to work, meaning they can already enter the EU.

German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said as she arrived for the meeting that adopting the blanket protection for Ukraine&nbsp;refugees&nbsp;was "a paradigm shift" for the EU, which has long struggled to reform its asylum rules.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-ukraine-conflict-is-this-vladimir-putins-next-massive-plan-458569">Also read |&nbsp;Russia-Ukraine conflict: Is this Vladimir Putin's next massive plan?</a>

Hungary's government -- which has the closest ties to Moscow of any EU country -- said before its adoption that it was against blanket EU protection for Ukrainians.&nbsp;

As the interior ministers met, European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen tweeted that the EU was also setting up a "humanitarian hub" in Romania, one of four EU countries bordering Ukraine.

"Protecting the people fleeing (Russian President Vladimir) Putin's bombs is not only an act of compassion in times of war. This is also our moral duty, as Europeans," she said.

The EU on Thursday agreed to approve temporary protection for refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine -- so far numbered at one million - while also setting up a humanitarian hub in Romania.

The EU on Thursday agreed to approve temporary protection for refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine -- so far numbered at one million - while also setting up a humanitarian hub in Romania. The moves by the European Union came in parallel to its muscular sanctions on Russia imposed in successive waves over the course of the invasion, now in its eighth day. EU interior ministers agreed in a Brussels meeting to activate a temporary protection mechanism drawn up two decades ago -- in response to the wars in the former Yugoslavia -- but never used. European home affairs commissioner Ylva Johansson, who attended the meeting, tweeted that it was a "historic decision". French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said: "The European Union will accord temporary protection to all those fleeing the war in Ukraine." Darmanin's phrasing was significant. While most of those pouring out of Ukraine -- mainly women and children because men of fighting age were compelled to stay -- are Ukrainian, there were also many Indian students and other nationalities trapped when Russia invaded. Also read | Live | Ukraine war: Worst is to come, Macron believes after call with Putin "The significance of this moment for Europe cannot be underestimated," the Oxfam charity said in a statement, calling it "a turning point for Europe". It said the EU protection mechanism "offers a direct lifeline to people fleeing from danger in Ukraine" and now "all EU member states need to chip in and take responsibility". A majority of member states was needed to adopt the protection mechanism. With political agreement reached, it was expected to come into force within days, once the EU legislation is finalised. 'Paradigm shift' Under a text submitted by the European Commission, refugees from Ukraine and their family members would receive a residence permit and the right to access work and education for an initial year, renewable every six months for a total of two years. Currently, Ukrainians with passports bearing biometric data have only the right to visit the EU's Schengen area for up to three months, without the right to work, meaning they can already enter the EU. German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said as she arrived for the meeting that adopting the blanket protection for Ukraine refugees was "a paradigm shift" for the EU, which has long struggled to reform its asylum rules. Also read | Russia-Ukraine conflict: Is this Vladimir Putin's next massive plan? Hungary's government -- which has the closest ties to Moscow of any EU country -- said before its adoption that it was against blanket EU protection for Ukrainians. As the interior ministers met, European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen tweeted that the EU was also setting up a "humanitarian hub" in Romania, one of four EU countries bordering Ukraine. "Protecting the people fleeing (Russian President Vladimir) Putin's bombs is not only an act of compassion in times of war. This is also our moral duty, as Europeans," she said.

Ukraine invasion: EU to offer protection to refugees as situation worsens

For the eighth day now, Ukraine has witnessed a full-scale Russian invasion. With the Russian military assault came the Russian president's rhetoric which has left experts questioning his rationale and endgame!

Russia re-strategizes its Kyiv plan, what is Putin's endgame?

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