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Ukraine war: Thousands of children to be evacuated from Belgorod after strikes

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Approximately 9,000 children are being evacuated from Belgorod and its surrounding areas following shelling incidents attributed to Ukraine, according to Belgorod governor Vyacheslav Gladkov. The recent attacks have resulted in injuries, power outages, and casualties, with 16 people killed and 98 wounded this week alone.

In response to the attacks, schools in Belgorod were closed earlier in the week, and evacuation orders now extend to several villages in the region. The evacuation process is set to begin on Friday, with the initial group comprising 1,200 children.

Russia’s defense ministry claims to have intercepted Ukrainian shells over Belgorod and conducted strikes against alleged Ukrainian “saboteurs” near the border regions. Concurrently, Ukrainian border areas have also faced Russian attacks, necessitating evacuations.

Although Kyiv has not officially responded to the incidents in Belgorod, Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused Ukraine of attempting to disrupt his re-election campaign through the strikes. Putin has urged the Federal Security Service to identify and punish Russian fighters supporting Ukraine’s cause, vowing retribution regardless of their location.

Earlier this month, reports emerged of Russia-based paramilitary groups crossing into Russian territory from Ukraine. Videos circulated by these groups claimed control over villages in the Belgorod and Kursk regions, although Russia’s defense ministry refuted these claims, stating that such attempts were thwarted.

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Ukraine drones hit St Petersburg gas terminal in Russia

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An explosion at a significant gas export terminal near St Petersburg in Russia has reportedly been orchestrated by Ukrainian drones, as informed by sources to BBC News. The incident, which caused a large fire at the Ust-Luga terminal, resulted in no injuries according to Russian officials. Ukrainian sources from Kyiv claim that the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) conducted a “special operation” using targeted drones. Both Russia and Ukraine have utilized drones in the ongoing conflict.

The full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia began nearly two years ago, with limited progress reported in recent months. The explosion near St Petersburg occurred at the Ust-Luga terminal of gas producer Novatek, prompting a “high alert regime” in the region. Novatek suspended operations at the terminal, attributing the fire to “external influence” without providing specific details.

According to Ukrainian sources, the fuel processed at the attacked plant supplied Russian troops in the ongoing conflict, and this strike is said to significantly complicate military logistics. The attack is also characterized as an economic blow to Russia, a major fuel exporter from the terminal.

Reports from Russia’s Fontanka.ru include video footage of tankers near the fire, revealing that two drones were observed heading towards St Petersburg before altering their course towards the Ust-Luga port. Witnesses reported feeling the ground shake with explosions, and about 150 staff were evacuated from the terminal.

The Russian defence ministry stated it shot down three Ukrainian drones in the Smolensk Region near the Ukrainian border on Saturday night, following earlier reports of downed drones in Tula and Oryol in western Russia. No casualties were reported.

Additionally, on the same day, a shelling incident in the Russian-controlled city of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine resulted in at least 25 deaths and 20 injuries at a busy market. Russia and Ukraine have been targeting each other’s energy infrastructure, with a recent fire at an oil depot in Bryansk, southwest Russia, blamed on a Ukrainian drone strike. This follows an attack on a major oil loading terminal in St Petersburg and Russia’s claim of capturing a village near Bakhmut, which Kyiv has not confirmed. Ukraine, facing ammunition shortages, has expressed intentions to domestically produce a million drones this year.

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Ukraine War: A family’s attempt to flee the Ukraine war ends in tragedy

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The drone footage shows three cars speeding along an empty main road just outside Kyiv, Ukraine, before turning around and racing back – all but one.

This white car makes a U-turn, but then comes to a complete stop. A man takes a step forward and raises his hands. His body then collapses to the ground. Russian soldiers appear a short time later. A soldier walks an elderly woman and her child away from the car. Maksim Iovenko was the man on the ground. Russian forces stationed along the roadside shot and killed the 31-year-old. His wife, Ksenia, was also killed in the vehicle.

Their six-year-old son and an elderly family friend who was with them managed to flee, though she was injured and remains hospitalised. On March 7, Maksim and his family were part of a convoy of about ten cars of civilians attempting to reach Kyiv from the city’s western outskirts, which had become a conflict zone.

It was filmed and widely shared by a Ukrainian territorial defence group conducting aerial reconnaissance. Sergiy says he knew something was wrong when a friend of Maksim’s who was in the convoy called him to tell him the news. When he picked up the phone, there was silence, until the friend finally said, “Stay strong, your son and daughter-in-law are gone.” Maksim worked for a travel agency in Kyiv, and it was there that he met Ksenia. Sergiy describes his son as a loving family man who enjoys singing karaoke. But, he claims, his most important hobby was spending time with his family. “He adored his son, and this was his life’s work.”

Sergiy and his family, like many other Ukrainians, did not believe Russian President Vladimir Putin would invade. Maksim assumed that once Putin did, Kyiv would be one of the first cities to be shelled.

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Russia has taken control of Ukraine’s nuclear plant following shelling

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After being shelled, Russia has taken control of a nuclear power plant in Ukraine.

A fire broke out at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Europe’s largest, and Ukraine claimed Russian troops shelled it. The facility is now safe, according to authorities, and radiation levels are normal. World leaders have accused Russia of putting an entire continent’s safety at risk, and Ukraine’s president has accused Russia of “nuclear terror.” US Vice President Joe Biden urged Moscow to halt its military activities near the site, while Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Russia’s “horrific attacks” must end “immediately.”

The “reckless” attack, according to UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, could “directly threaten the safety of all of Europe.” All three leaders spoke by phone with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky. Meanwhile, Mr Zelensky stated that Russia desired a repeat of the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster. According to Ukraine’s nuclear inspectorate, buildings surrounding one of the plant’s six power units have been damaged without compromising its safety. Workers at the plant said the fire, which has since been extinguished, started outside the plant’s perimeter at a training building, and that only one of the plant’s six reactors was operational.

Despite the harsh international sanctions, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin stated that his offensive was proceeding “strictly according to schedule and plan.”

He has placed his nuclear forces on high alert in response to the West’s “aggressive statements.”

On Friday, Western ministers will meet in Brussels for crisis talks in order to demonstrate their support for Ukraine.

The UK Foreign Secretary, Liz Truss, called it “one of the most important days of diplomacy,” with allies ready to “tighten the vice around Putin’s war machine” by targeting the Russian economy with additional sanctions.

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