Russian forces spent the past 24 hours largely regrouping and preparing to renew offensive operations around Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Mykolayiv.
The Ukrainian General Staff reports the presence of a large concentration of Russian forces west of Kharkiv that it assesses will launch a wide offensive southwest toward the Dnipro River, although no such offensive has begun as of this publication.
Russia violated two Russian-Ukrainian ceasefire agreements, collapsing efforts to establish a humanitarian corridor to help evacuate civilians from Mariupol and Volnovakha on March 5 and 6.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has not demonstrated any willingness to de-escalate with Ukraine or the international community, nor has he provided reasonable demands that would lay the groundwork for de-escalation or negotiations.
The Kremlin is likely laying the domestic information groundwork for a declaration of martial law in Russia should Russian President Vladimir Putin decide that mass mobilization and conscription are necessary to achieve his objectives.
Russian President Vladimir Putin allowed for the confiscation of assets belonging to “corrupt” Russian officials on March 6, likely to acquire new revenue streams at the expense of alienating some supporters.
The Kremlin is attempting to deter US or European bans on Russian oil exports by claiming that a ban would devastate world oil markets.
Russian President Vladimir Putin compared Western sanctions to a “declaration of war” on March 5 as the Kremlin began to retaliate against foreign businesses.

Key Events March 4, 4:00 pm EST – March 6, 4:00 pm EST

Military Events:

The military situation on the ground has not changed significantly in the past 24 hours. Russian forces continue to mass for renewed offensive operations east and west of Kyiv, west of Kharkiv, and toward Mykolayiv-Odesa but have not yet initiated new large-scale ground attacks. Russia has increased aerial and artillery/rocket attacks on civilian positions and infrastructure, including known evacuation corridors. Ukrainian forces reportedly conducted their second counterattack in two days, this time near Mariupol. The Ukrainian air force and air defense forces continue to operate, inflicting damage on Russian ground forces and disrupting Russian air and missile operations.

Russian forces are engaged in four primary efforts at this time:

1) Main effort—Kyiv: Russian operations on the Kyiv axis consist of a main effort aimed at enveloping and ultimately encircling the city from the west and supporting efforts along the Chernihiv and Sumy axes to encircle it from the northeast and east. Russian forces near Kyiv have continued to concentrate in preparation for resuming offensive operations both east and west of the city. They have conducted limited movements to advance the western envelopment but have not gained much ground.

2) Supporting effort 1—Kharkiv; The Ukrainian General Staff assessed on March 5 that as many as 23 BTGs are concentrated likely west and northwest of Kharkiv and are preparing to resume offensive operations toward Lubny, Poltava, and Kharkiv itself.

3) Supporting effort 2—Mariupol: The Russian encirclement of Mariupol continues and Russian forces continued to shell the city on March 5.

4) Supporting effort 3—Kherson and advances westward: The Ukrainian General Staff reports that three Russian BTGs of the 7th Airborne Division attacked toward Mykolayiv on March 5 but were repulsed. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed on March 6 that Russia was preparing to bomb Odesa, although he offered no evidence for that claim and ISW has found no independent confirmation of it. Zelensky is almost certainly right that Russia will begin bombing Odesa in advance of ground or amphibious operations against the city, but the timing of such operations remains unclear.

Russia violated two Russian-Ukrainian ceasefire agreements, collapsing efforts to establish a humanitarian corridor to help evacuate civilians from Mariupol and Volnovakha on March 5 and 6.[1] Russia and Ukraine agreed to a March 5 ceasefire to create a humanitarian corridor for evacuating civilians and the wounded from Mariupol and nearby Volnovakha. Russia likely continued to target Ukrainian forces on March 5 in violation of the ceasefire. Russia and Ukraine agreed upon a subsequent ceasefire on March 6 starting at 10:00 am local time.[2] The International Committee of the Red Cross (IRCR) reported that evacuation attempts in Mariupol and Volnovakha again failed and Ukrainian officials claimed Russia again violated the ceasefire.[3] Russia denied that its forces violated the ceasefire and blamed the Ukrainian government for the failure of the humanitarian corridor.

Ukraine’s Framing: Multiple Ukrainian officials claimed Russian attacks in Mariupol on March 5 and 6 closed the humanitarian corridor.[4] Mariupol Mayor Vadym Boichenko and Mariupol Deputy Mayor Serhiy Orlov said Russian forces were “still bombing Mariupol“ on March 5 and called off evacuation efforts.[5] The head of Ukraine’s Donetsk Region administration, Pavlo Kirilenko, said in a Facebook post on March 6 that the second attempt to evacuate Mariupol residents failed.[6] Kirilenko claimed “the Russians began to regroup their forces and resumed heavy shelling of the city.”[7] Ukrainian Interior Ministry advisor Anton Gerashchenko and Ukrainian Minister for Reintegration Iryna Vereshchuk blamed Russian shooting along parts of the corridor between Mariupol and Zaporizhzhia for the failure to safely establish humanitarian corridors.[8]
Russia’s Framing: Russian officials and Kremlin-supported media outlets claimed the Ukrainian government is disinterested in helping its citizens and said Ukraine blocked its citizens from evacuating Mariupol on March 5 and 6. Russia’s Ministry of Defense claimed Russian forces followed the ceasefire order and accused “Ukrainian forces and national battalions of taking advantage of the declared [ceasefire] to regroup on defensive positions.”[9] Head of the National Center for Defense Control of the Russian Federation Colonel General Mikhail Mizintsev stated on March 5 that “a catastrophic humanitarian situation had developed” in most of Ukraine and falsely claimed “the Nazis blocked thousands of Ukrainians and foreigners” from evacuating. Russian Defense Ministry Representative Major General Igor Konashenkov said on March 5 the Russian military went ahead with its offensive operations at 6:00 am Moscow time “due to Ukraine’s’ unwillingness to influence nationalists or extend [the ceasefire].”[10]

Other Russian Activity:

The Russian Federal Customs Service detained a US citizen on drug charges on March 5, likely to improve Russian leverage over the United States.[11] The Russian Federal Customs Service detained NBA Basketball player Brittney Griner for possession of hash oil at Sheremetyevo airport on March 5.[12]

An alleged FSB whistleblower leaked their analysis on the Russian-Ukrainian war, highlighting major logistical and planning issues. [13] The leaked letter accused Russian leaders of poor planning and concealing the nature of the war from the Russian people, including planners for the invasion. The letter-writer claimed that Russian intelligence analysts did not provide accurate assessments of the impact of Ukrainian resistance or Western sanctions because Russian leadership told analysts that their assessments were hypothetical thought exercises for which the assessment of a positive outcome for Russia would be politically beneficial. The letter-writer also claimed that the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) is searching intensely for evidence that Ukraine is building nuclear weapons. The letter-writer also alleged that Russia has an internal deadline of June for the end of the war due to economic pressures.

The Kremlin continued restricting news and social media outlets that refused to comply with its new disinformation law as other media outlets restricted or closed their Russian operations on March 5-6. The Kremlin is leveraging its accusations of Western disinformation against Russia to justify its acceleration of social control measures that eliminate Russian freedom of speech, right to protest, and access to trusted information. Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov justified increasing crackdowns on freedom of speech as a national security measure. [14] Peskov said that Russian citizens must express their positions on the Russian military operation in Ukraine “within the framework of the law” but did not specify the parameters of the law.[15] The Kremlin likely seeks to promote self-censorship among Russian citizens. Russian Internal Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Irina Volk admitted on March 6 that Russian authorities arrested 3,500 protesters in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and other unspecified regions, likely to deter additional protests.[16]

Chinese-owned social media platform TikTok temporarily suspended live broadcasting and new content in Russia on March 6 to comply with the new censorship law.[17] Russian-owned media application Telegram briefly experienced service interruptions on March 5, possibly to ensure compliance with the new disinformation law.[18] Russian users frequently use TikTok, Telegram, and other social media applications to share Russian force movements in Russia and spread footage of kinetic action in Ukraine. Russian state media regulator Rozkomnadzor also blocked access to communications application Zello on March 6 over its refusal to comply with the censorship law.[19]

Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty closed their Russian operations on March 6 due to mounting fines over their refusal to accept their designations as “foreign agents.”[20] Independent Russian news outlet COLTA temporarily suspended publications on March 5 and said that it must “make changes” to and remove recently published materials on Russia’s war in Ukraine to comply with the law.[21]

Sanctions and Economic Activity:

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree allowing for the confiscation of assets belonging to “corrupt” Russian officials on March 6, likely to raise state revenue at the expense of alienating some supporters.[22] The decree allows the Kremlin to withdraw money from an official’s account if its assets exceed three years’ worth of income. The Kremlin will confiscate the assets if the official does not provide legal documentation of the origin of his or her land ownership, real estate, vehicles, and other assets. The Kremlin is unlikely to conduct fair audits and may rely on seizing the assets of disobedient officials to fund Russia’s declining economy. Such seizures would likely damage Putin’s relations with regional governments. The Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine has already soured relations with formerly pro-Russian Ukrainian businessmen like Rinat Akhmetov, who denounced Russia as an aggressive country and Putin as a “war criminal” on March 5.[23] Russia’s invasion of Ukraine likely destroyed Akhmetov’s Ukraine-based industries. Akhmetov was previously a strong supporter of the pro- Putin Yanukovych regime.

The Kremlin is attempting to deter US or European bans on Russian oil exports by claiming that a ban would devastate world oil markets. Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov warned on March 5 that US limitations on Russian oil imports “could have rather serious consequences” on Russian oil that would disrupt the world energy market.[24] US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on March 6 that the United States and the European Union are looking into banning Russian oil imports “while making sure that there is still an appropriate supply of oil in world markets.”[25]

Russian President Vladimir Putin compared Western sanctions to a “declaration of war” on March 5 as the Kremlin began to retaliate against foreign businesses.[26] Putin’s “declaration of war” rhetoric is likely intended to prepare the Russian population for additional hardship.

The Kremlin is likely attempting to prevent further Western sanctions against Russian officials by masking available information on their assets and incomes. The State Duma introduced a bill under the guise of anti-corruption efforts to remove public information about income and assets of sanctioned public officials on March 5 to prevent “unfriendly states from exerting pressure and influencing Russian officials” and their families.[27]

The Kremlin is beginning to retaliate against and replace Western companies for their governments’ sanctions. Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov claimed that Western governments acted like bandits, coerced private companies to leave Russian markets, and infringed on the property rights of sanctioned Russian businessmen by confiscating their properties abroad.[28] Peskov claimed that Russian companies might resort to using “non-standard and bold” measures such as using unlicensed software, encouraging pirating of Western programs.[29] Putin ordered the Kremlin to create a list of “unfriendly” states, legal entities, and actors on March 6.[30] Putin also signed a decree allowing Russian companies to repay debts to “unfriendly” foreign creditors in Russian rubles instead of dollars or euros.[31] Russian State Duma Committee on Economic Policy member Sergey Altukhov warned that Western companies will have a challenging time returning to the Russian market as Russian and Asian businesses will replace them.[32] Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and PayPal suspended their operations in Russia on March 5-6, limiting Russians’ abilities to conduct domestic transactions.[33] Russian banks reportedly plan to issue “Mir” co-badged cards and introduce the Chinese “UnionPay” system in retaliation.[34] Russia’s Central Bank also unofficially ordered Russian banks to limit the amount of funds Russians can transfer to families abroad to $5,000 a month to prevent currency from leaving the country on March 5.[35]

The Kremlin is also leveraging its own and Western sanctions to advance its foreign policy and national interests. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov threatened to derail the Iran nuclear deal talks if the United States does not guarantee that Western sanctions against Russia will not be imposed on Russian trade and investment with Iran on March 6.[36] Russian agriculture and veterinary regulators likely lifted restrictions from 15 Georgian dairy producers on March 6 to reward the Georgian government for its reluctance to officially support Ukraine.[37]

[1] https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-vladimir-putin-kyiv-europe-1f3…

[2] https://www.newsweek.com/russia-ukraine-kyiv-ceasefire-corridor-1685186

[4] https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-vladimir-putin-kyiv-europe-1f3…

[5] washingtonpost.com/world/2022/03/05/mariupol-ukraine-russia-evacuation-invasion/

[6] https://www.cnn.com/europe/live-news/ukraine-russia-putin-news-03-06-22/…

[7] https://www.cnn.com/europe/live-news/ukraine-russia-putin-news-03-06-22/…

[8] https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-vladimir-putin-kyiv-europe-1f3…

[9] https://www.ft.com/content/67c41711-027e-4bc3-b94a-cf220d1e8243

[10] https://iz dot ru/1301377/2022-03-05/vs-rf-vozobnovili-nastuplenie-iz-za-nezhelaniia-kieva-prodlevat-rezhim-tishiny

[11] https://www.espn.com/wnba/story/_/id/33429212/basketball-player-brittney…

[12] https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/05/sports/basketball/russia-brittney-gri…

[13] https://www.facebook.com/vladimir.osechkin/posts/4811633942268327; https://twitter.com/igorsushko/status/1500301348780199937?s=20&t=zsc4DeK…

[14] https://tvzvezda dot ru/news/2022351310-yOIwI.html

[15] https://www dot kommersant.ru/doc/5249113

[16] https://tass dot ru/obschestvo/13987409

[17] https://tass dot ru/obschestvo/13989055; https://web.archive.org/web/20220316004431/https://www.pravda.com.ua/ dot com.ua/news/2022/03/6/7328904/

[18] https://iz dot ru/1301062/2022-03-05/sboi-proizoshel-v-rabote-telegram

[19] https://tass dot ru/obschestvo/13984989

[20] https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/03/06/russia-ukraine-war-news-…

[21] https://meduza dot io/news/2022/03/05/redaktsiya-colta-ru-reshila-na-vremya-zamolchat-iz-za-zakona-pro-feyki-o-deystviyah-rossiyskoy-armii

[22] https://tass.ru/obschestvo/13987551

[23] https://apostrophe.ua/news/sport/2022-03-05/putin—voennyiy-prestupnik-ahmetov-jestko-osudil-napadenie-rossii-na-ukrainu/261523

[24] https://web.archive.org/web/20220308010041/https://iz.ru/1301122/2022-03-05/v-kremle-predupredili-o-posledstviiakh-pri-zaprete-rossiiskoi-nefti-v-ssha

[25] https://www.cnn.com/europe/live-news/ukraine-russia-putin-news-03-06-22/…

[26] https://lenta.ru/news/2022/03/05/voina/

[27] https://www.interfax-russia.ru/main/deklaraciya-chinovnikov-podpavshih-pod-sankcii-ne-budet-razmeshchatsya-v-publichnom-dostupe-zakonoproekt

[28] https://iz.ru/1301143/2022-03-05/peskov-schel-ekonomicheskii-banditizm-prichinoi-ukhoda-riada-kompanii-iz-rf

[29] https://tvzvezda.ru/news/2022351314-dtuYE.html

[30] https://nv.ua/world/geopolitics/vladimir-putin-sostavlyaet-spisok-stran-vragov-novosti-ukrainy-50222631.html

[31]

[32] https://web.archive.org/web/20220308111638/https://iz.ru/1301251/2022-03-05/v-gd-predupredili-inostrannye-kompanii-o-trudnostiakh-pri-popytke-vernutsia-v-rf

[33] https://www.cnn.com/europe/live-news/ukraine-russia-putin-news-03-06-22/…

[34] https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/03/06/russia-ukraine-war-news-… https://www.reuters.com/business/paypal-shuts-down-its-services-russia-c… https://tass.ru/ekonomika/13984553

[35] https://meduza.io/news/2022/03/05/kommersant-tsentrobank-zapretil-perevodit-rodstvennikam-za-rubezh-bolee-5-tysyach-dollarov-v-mesyats

[36] https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/03/06/russia-ukraine-war-news-…

[37] https://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2022/03/6/7328746/

The roadblock I kept running into when I was trying to find books for my Black children

News desk

7 March 2022

The roadblock I kept running into when I was trying to find books for my Black children

I was a child bookworm. When I was a young girl, my parents read to me religiously, and after learning to read myself, if I wasn’t playing sports, I almost always had my face in a book. Even after several readings, I remember feeling Lisa’s disappointment when she didn’t get Corduroy on that first visit to the store with her mother. I can only imagine how my parents felt when I repeatedly asked them if we could live in a cool treehouse like Sister Bearfrom “The Berenstain Bears.” I tore through series such as “The Baby-Sitters Club,” “Ramona Quimby” and “Nancy Drew.” These books influenced me in ways that I likely don’t even realize.

Too often, children’s books featuring Black characters fall short of our wholeness.

But one thing I did come to realize is that, with very few exceptions, I grew up immersed in books with characters who didn’t look like me.

When I was pregnant with my first child eight years ago, books were high on the list of things my husband and I needed to get, right alongside the car seat, crib and changing table. I didn’t realize how challenging and time-consuming it would be to find a collection of books that portrayed a child that would look like mine. All of the books didn’t need to reflect my little one’s image, but I wanted to introduce books that would mirror my children and their everyday joy, adventures and relationships.

Instead, I kept running into books that mostly showed Black characters. Although it’s important for Black — and really all — children to grow up and be exposed to history so they are able to have context about how the world is today, it’s equally crucial for children to see Black characters in ordinary, relatable storylines.

As a future mother, I wanted my Black children to see themselves in a variety of books. I imagined my little ones nestled in my arms, turning the pages to reveal words and illustrations that would stay with them, fostering a sense of wonder and belonging.

It wasn’t until I read Denene Millner’s 2018 New York Times essay “Black Kids Don’t Want to Read About Harriet Tubman All the Time” that I found a voice to what troubled me in my earlier attempt to curate an at-home library for my children.

As Millner (who is publishing my forthcoming book) stated, too often, children’s books featuring Black characters fall short of our wholeness.”You can fill nearly half the bookshelves in the Schomburg [Center for Research in Black Culture] with children’s books about the civil rights movement, slavery, basketball players and musicians, and various ‘firsts,'” she wrote. “These stories consistently paint African-Americans as the aggrieved and the conquerors, the agitators and the superheroes who fought for their right to be recognized as full human beings.”

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While it is important to preserve the accounts of our struggle for that recognition, it is but a part of who we’ve been and who we are. Millner’s words felt like a call to action.

When the scope is customarily limited for our children, how does it impact their identity? What are we telling Black children when they are too often absent from stories about joy? What does it say to non-Black children who are unaware of our absence in the stories and narratives they are given and learn to love? What are we showing all of our children when the space that Black people are most likely to fill, if they are present at all, is that of the aggrieved or the sidekick in someone else’s story?

Opening a picture book is often the first time that children are introduced to characters who bring life to their imagination, both the fanciful and the possible. They get a glimpse of lives outside of their own and a front-row seat to the adventures of their friends and peers and of an everyday existence that normalizes their humanity. These beloved books with rich illustrations are in some ways validation of the world these children will come to know and the values they will take to heart.

It is why, I believe, my 7-year-old daughter was so excited when we picked up Amanda Gorman’s “Change Sings.” The first thing she said was, “She has a puff just like mine.” I also believe this is why my 5-year-old son likes to read “Crown” by Derrick Barnes. He thinks of his barber, Mr. Nelson, and the fresh haircut he gives him on his visits to the shop with his dad.

Growing up, I pictured myself in any number of professions, but being a children’s book author was never one of them. Then again, becoming a mother set me up to do many things I had never considered. When you’re a Black mother to Black children, in today’s America, what you need to become takes on an added significance.

Research has shown that while progress has been made to diversify children’s books racially, it has been slow and not where it needs to be to match how diverse the U.S. has become. I hope to see even more books featuring Black characters, where race is an afterthought as it is for their non-Black peers. I am not the first person seeking to improve the literary landscape. I stand on shoulders of decades past and more recent. I also know I will not be the last author to hear Millner’s call to action. The effort to ensure a full portrait of our children is never-ending.

Being Black should not define who we are, the pages we appear on or where we belong in this world — nor should it determine our absence in the hearts, minds and lives of other children.

Clothilde Ewing

Clothilde Ewing leads communications at The Chicago Community Trust, a community foundation committed to advancing economic equity, a former television producer for CBS News and The Oprah Winfrey Show, a wife and mother. Her first picture book “Stella Keeps the Sun Up,” published by Denene Millner Books, an imprint at Simon & Schuster, will hit bookshelves March 8th.

Russian military control of Ukraine nuclear plants cause for grave concern, nuclear energy agency warns

Newsroom

6 March 2022

Russian military control of Ukraine nuclear plants cause for grave concern, nuclear energy agency warns

In a statement released by the IAEA, Mr. Grossi said he had been informed by Ukrainian authorities that, although regular staff continue to operate the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant, any action of plant management – including measures related to the technical operation of the six reactor units – requires prior approval by the Russian commander of the Russian forces that took control of the site last week.

Mr. Grossi said that this development contravenes one of the seven pillars of nuclear safety and security that he outlined at a meeting of the IAEA’s Board of Governors on 2 March: that “operating staff must be able to fulfil their safety and security duties and have the capacity to make decisions free of undue pressure”.

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Communication severely restricted
Radiation levels normal
Chernobyl and Mariupol safety fears
- The nuclear danger in Ukraine

Communication severely restricted

Ukraine’s nuclear regulator has informed the IAEA that it is having major problems communicating with staff operating Zaporizhzhya, due to Russian forces at the site switching off some mobile networks and blocking the internet. Some mobile phone communication is understood to still be possible, albeit with poor quality, but fixed phone lines, as well as e-mails and fax, are reportedly no longer functioning.

The IAEA noted that this situation contravenes another of its seven indispensable pillars of nuclear safety, that there must be “reliable communications with the regulator and others”.

“I’m extremely concerned about these developments that were reported to me today”. Said Mr. Grossi. “Just a few days after I presented the seven main elements of nuclear safety and security to the IAEA Board, several of them are already being compromised. In order to be able to operate the plant safely and securely, management and staff must be allowed to carry out their vital duties in stable conditions without undue external interference or pressure”.

“The deteriorating situation regarding vital communications between the regulator and the Zaporizhzhya NPP is also a source of deep concern, especially during an armed conflict that may jeopardize the country’s nuclear facilities at any time”, continued the Director-General. “Reliable communications between the regulator and the operator are a critical part of overall nuclear safety and security”.

Radiation levels normal

Despite the communication issues, the regulator was able to provide updated information about the operational status of the Zaporizhzhya NPP to the IAEA, and to confirm that radiation levels there remained normal.

Operational teams at the plant are now rotating in three shifts but, the regulator added, the availability and supply of food is limited, which is having a negative impact on staff morale.

Chernobyl and Mariupol safety fears

Responding to reports that the technical staff and guards at the site of the Chernobyl nuclear accident site have not been rotated since 23 February, Mr. Grossi called on the Russian forces controlling the site to allow them to be relieved by other colleagues and rest, in order to carry out their jobs safely and security.

The Ukraine regulator has informed the IAEA that communication with Chernobyl is currently limited to emails.

In another worrying development, the regulator said that all communications have been lost with the enterprises and institutions in the port city of Mariupol that use category 1-3 radiation sources, and there is no information about their status. Such radioactive material, warned the IAEA, can cause serious harm to people if not secured and managed properly.

National Chernobyl Museum/Anatoliy Rasskazov

The accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant on 26 April 1986 was one of the most serious nuclear accidents ever.

The nuclear danger in Ukraine

Ukraine gave up its rights to nuclear weapons following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, and all the nuclear weaponry on its territory was removed by June 1996. However, the country retained the right to develop nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, and some 114 enterprises are believed to have nuclear materials of some kind, including four nuclear power plants (NPPs).
The military conflict in Ukraine is the first to take place on the territory of a country with large nuclear facilities. On Thursday night, Zaporizhzhia NPP, the largest and most powerful in Europe, was shelled, raising fears of an explosion, and radiation leaks.
Memories of the Chernobyl disaster, which occurred on April 26, 1986, have also been revived: Chernobyl was one of the most serious nuclear incidents in human history, and led to a radioactive plume covering a large part of north-eastern Europe.
Thursday’s attack on Zaporizhzhia saw shells hitting a training complex near the nuclear reactors. No radioactive material was released, and the plant’s safety systems were not compromised.
However, an accident or explosion at Zaporizhzhia, which is far bigger than Chernobyl, could lead to far more serious consequences than the 1986 incident. This could result from fresh attacks, or even a loss of electricity. The latter situation could prevent the reactor cooling system from working, and lead to an explosion (this was the cause of the Chernobyl disaster).

Ukraine: UN chief calls for safe passage from conflict zones, rights body records 1,123 civilian casualties, WHO outlines health concerns

Newsroom

6 March 2022

Ukraine: UN chief calls for safe passage from conflict zones, rights body records 1,123 civilian casualties, WHO outlines health concerns

UN chief António Guterres called on Sunday for a pause in fighting to allow civilians to escape conflict zones in Ukraine, as the UN rights body (OHCHR) announced it had recorded 1,123 civilian casualties since the beginning of Russia’s armed attack on the country.

In a Tweet, the UN Secretary-General declared that it is absolutely essential to establish a pause in the fighting that continues unabated in Ukraine, to allow for the safe passage of civilians from all conflict zones, and also to ensure that life-saving humanitarian aid, such as the UN supplies that began arriving on Saturday, can move in to help those who remain.

Mr. Guterres singled out the cities of Mariupol, Kharkiv and Sumy as examples of hotspots where civilians are at particular risk. Attempts to allow some 200,000 civilians to safely leave Mariupol continue to be thwarted, with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) reporting “devastating scenes of human suffering” in the city.

The ICRC reported on Sunday that, whilst their teams remain on standby to help with the evacuation, they need security guarantees in order to operate. These guarantees have so far not been forthcoming, and the humanitarian organization called on the warring parties to agree to specific terms that would allow for safe passage out of the city.

Destruction caused by a rocket in western Ukraine is captured on a cell phone image.

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Real fatality figures ‘considerably higher’ than recorded
‘Fastest-growing refugee crisis in Europe since WW2’
WHO releases priority healthcare concerns for Ukraine

Real fatality figures ‘considerably higher’ than recorded

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) warned on Sunday that the casualty figures it has reported – for the period between 04:00 local time on 24 February 2022, when the Russian Federation’s armed attack against Ukraine started, to midnight on 5 March 2022 – are likely to be a considerable underestimate of the true numbers.

OHCHR said that 1,123 civilian casualties in Ukraine have been verified: 364 killed, including 25 children, and 759 injured. Most of the casualties have been caused by the use of explosive weapons with a wide impact area, including shelling from heavy artillery and multi-launch rocket systems, and missile and air strikes.

However, OHCHR believes that the real figures are considerably higher, especially in Government-controlled territory, and especially in recent days, as information from some locations where intense hostilities have been going on has been delayed and many reports are still pending corroboration. In the town of Volnovakha, for example, OHCHR is aware of allegations of hundreds of civilian casualties.

On 5 March 2022 in western Ukraine, children and families make their way to the border to cross into Poland.

‘Fastest-growing refugee crisis in Europe since WW2’

The Ukraine conflict has created the fastest-growing refugee crisis since the Second World War, the head of the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), declared in a Tweet on Sunday.

Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, noted that more than 1.5 million people have crossed into neighbouring countries in just 10 days.

Mr. Grandi’s comments follow warnings from the UN children’s agency (UNICEF) on Friday of “unprecedented” numbers of children and families fleeing their homes, and humanitarian needs “growing by the hour”.

A mother holds her newborn baby at a hospital in Kyiv, Ukraine.

WHO releases priority healthcare concerns for Ukraine

The UN health agency (WHO) released its first Ukraine situation report on Saturday, outlining its health priorities for the country.
These include mental health care, due to what the agency calls “significant stress due to acute conflict”, and conflict-related trauma and injuries, exacerbated by lack of access to health facilities due to insecurity.

WHO is also concerned about excess death from common illnesses, due to disruption in services, and acute maternal, new-born and child illnesses, as well as the spread of infectious diseases such as COVID-19, measles, polio, TB, and HIV.

Diarrhoeal diseases are also on the list of priorities, due to the widespread destruction of water and sanitation infrastructure, inadequate vaccination coverage, population movements, and crowding.

Moscow Patriarch Kirill: War has a metaphysical significance against gay parade

Jan Leonid Bornstein

6 March 2022

Putin with Patriarch Kirill siting together — premier.gov.ru, CC BY 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

On March 6, 2022, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow. At the end of the service, the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church delivered a sermon.[1]

In his sermon, Kirill, who has already been heard several times defending and justifying war since the first day it started, has explained why “this spring has been overshadowed by grave events related to the deterioration of the political situation in the Donbas”.

His explanation, which is aligned with anti-West rethoric to justify war, goes like this:
“For eight years there have been attempts to destroy what exists in the Donbass. And in the Donbass there is rejection, a fundamental rejection of the so-called values that are offered today by those who claim world power. Today there is such a test for the loyalty of this government, a kind of pass to that “happy” world, the world of excess consumption, the world of visible “freedom”. Do you know what this test is? The test is very simple and at the same time terrible – this is a gay parade. The demands on many to hold a gay parade are a test of loyalty to that very powerful world; and we know that if people or countries reject these demands, then they do not enter into that world, they become strangers to it.”

He adds that: “If humanity recognizes that sin is not a violation of God’s law, if humanity agrees that sin is one of the options for human behavior, then human civilization will end there. And gay parades are designed to demonstrate that sin is one of the variations of human behavior.”

So the war “has not only political significance. We are talking about something different and much more important than politics. We are talking about human salvation, about where humanity will end up, on which side of God the Savior, who comes into the world as the Judge and Creator, on the right or on the left…All of the above indicates that we have entered into a struggle that has not a physical, but a metaphysical significance.”

And which side you choose “is today a test for our faithfulness to the Lord, for our ability to confess faith in our Savior.”

And he ends up by praying for soldiers, which we guess are not the “evil forces” of the Ukrainian army: “let us pray that all those who are fighting today, who are shedding blood, who are suffering, will also enter into this joy of the Resurrection in peace and tranquility.”

Is that a good day to die?

Happy crusades!

[1] https://www.patriarchia.ru/db/text/5906442.html

War in Ukraine: the latest news on Sunday

EuropeanTimes

6 March 2022

Published on 06 March 2022 at 12:26, updated at 18:30 – Image: Twitter

The Russian army attacked the strategic port of Mariupol again on Saturday and advanced elsewhere in Ukraine, with heavy fighting still going on around Kiev and thousands of civilians fleeing the shelling, as Vladimir Putin issued warnings.

The Ukrainian general staff in a statement on Facebook reported “heavy fighting” against Russian forces for control of the towns of Mykolayev in the south and Chernigury in the north, it said. A Ukrainian military operation was also underway in the Donetsk region.

Mariupol: the evacuation of civilians due to take place on 6 March has been halted.

The strategic port of Mariupol, under siege, continues to resist Russian forces.

“Amid devastating scenes of human suffering in Mariupol, a second attempt today to begin evacuating some 200,000 people from the city has been halted,” the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said in a statement.

“The main efforts are focused on the city of Mariupol,” the military said. The mayor, Vadim Boichenko, had confirmed that a humanitarian evacuation would take place today at noon. He spoke of a “humanitarian blockade”. “We have been living without electricity for five days, we have no heating or mobile phone network,” he said on You Tube.

Kiev

During the night of Saturday to Sunday, the capital has suffered little bombing, but Russian soldiers are approaching Kiev, while meeting a tenacious resistance. Intense fighting is taking place on its outskirts, according to the Ukrainian regional administration, especially around the road leading to Jytomyr (150 km west of Kiev), “the hottest spot”.

In the vicinity of Kiev, thousands of inhabitants are fleeing the hostilities, the shelling is intense and makes us fear the worst.

Putin threats

On Saturday, Vladimir Putin made new statements threatening anyone who imposes an exclusion zone in Ukrainian skies.

At 4am this morning, President russe threatened to deprive Ukraine of its “statehood” while comparing the international sanctions against Russia to a “declaration of war”.

The Ukrainian authorities “must understand that if they continue to do what they are doing, they are putting the future of Ukrainian statehood in question. And if that happens, they will be fully responsible,” he said on Saturday.

Erdogan offers to host talks

Erdogan will also call for “leadership-level” talks between Russia and Ukraine that could take place in Turkey, the spokesman said.

French president to hold talks with Putin again

Emmanuel Macron “is getting ready to have President Putin on the phone,” the French presidency said on Sunday, without giving further details.

Restoring safety and dignity to women in Malawi, displaced by Tropical Storm Ana

6 March 2022

Tropical Storm Ana left a trail of destruction in its wake in Malawi, particularly in hardest-hit southern districts, after it struck the country in late January. The UN Population Fund (UNFPA) has been at the forefront of efforts to help pregnant women and mothers by providing medical supplies, and reproductive services.

“The prospect of another cyclone was scary,” says Monica, who lives in Mbenje in Malawi’s Nsanje District. “We lived through the same experience with Cyclone Idai and then Cyclone Kenneth. We had to rebuild from scratch.”

Word had spread through the village during the day that a powerful cyclone had hit neighbouring Mozambique, and on that Sunday evening two weeks ago the weather suddenly changed. For almost six hours, torrential rain and strong winds pummelled Mbenje; Tropical Storm Ana had made landfall in Malawi.

“I looked outside and saw the water levels rising. From previous experiences, I knew we had to move to safety,” said Monica, who is six months pregnant. “I alerted my husband who quickly gathered the kids.”

Monica and her family trudged through the rain and mud all night to Nyambese camp, one of 27 temporary disaster sites that have sprung up across Nsanje, and which are now sheltering people affected by the storm.

The following day, Monica and her husband made the five-kilometre trek back to their village to see whether they could salvage anything from their home. Their worst fears were confirmed. There was now a deep pool of water filled with rubble where their house had once stood, the food grain was gone and their animals had been washed away. “After seeing the destruction, I knew Nyambese camp would be our home until the flood water subsided,” Monica said wearily.

Monica, who already had to rebuild after 2019 Cyclones Idai and Kenneth and lost everything to Tropical Storm Ana, holds her two children close at her new temporary home at Nyambese camp, Nsanje District.

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Lives and homes destroyed
Restoring sexual and reproductive health services

Lives and homes destroyed

Tropical Storm Ana has left a trail of destruction in its wake in Malawi, particularly in the hardest-hit southern districts of Nsanje, Phalombe, Mulanje and Chikwawa. Flooding has cut off roads, hampering relief efforts, while damage to the country’s electricity infrastructure is causing frequent power outages.

In Nsanje District, more than 55,000 people are now living in temporary camps. Among them are Monica, who is expecting her third child in May, and approximately 1,500 pregnant women. Forced to share latrines, and with little privacy, women and girls are at increased risk of physical and sexual violence in a country where one in three women are subjected to gender-based violence.

Restricted mobility due to floodwaters and electricity blackouts are affecting the delivery of sexual and reproductive health care; the vast majority of health facilities in Nsanje district – 21 out of 24 – are struggling to provide services. Three newborns have already died in the district when incubators were left inoperable due to a lack of power. Fuel for the generator at the district hospital, as well as supplies including lifesaving maternal health medicines, are running low.

UNFPA/ Joseph Scott

UNFPA Malawi Deputy Representative, Masaki Watabe helping out with dignity kits distribution at Sekeni Primary School Camp

Restoring sexual and reproductive health services

The UN Population Fund (UNFPA) and partners were on the ground within days of the disaster. To date 6,600 dignity kits containing basic hygiene items such as menstrual pads, soap and underwear, have been distributed to women and girls in Nsanje and Chikwawa. Repairs to the generator at Nsanje District Hospital have been completed, restoring power to the facility. Plans are also underway to deliver reproductive health kits containing medical and non-medical supplies, maternal health medicines and contraceptives to affected communities in the two districts.

“Our immediate priority is to restore quality sexual and reproductive health and protection services in the aftermath of the disaster,” said Young Hong, UNFPA Representative in Malawi. “As extreme weather events become more frequent in the region, UNFPA’s support to the recovery must focus on strengthening systems and building the resilience of affected communities, particularly women and girls.”

For Monica, the road ahead will be challenging. She faces the prospect of rebuilding both her home and her life again. But, for now, her most pressing concern is her unborn child. “I lost everything, even my health passport,” she says, cupping her face in her shaking hands. “I was supposed to go to an antenatal clinic this week, but travelling to the health centre is not possible. The roads are bad and still flooded.”

Russia media crackdown during Ukraine war, draws global Christian communication group’s flak

Newsdesk

5 March 2022

Russia media crackdown during Ukraine war, draws global Christian communication group's flak

The World Association for Christian Communication has called for an end to the attacks on freedom and democracy in Ukraine, the loss of life, and an end to the disinformation and propaganda fueling the conflict triggered by Russia’s invasion of its neighbor.

“Communication rights are severely threatened in Russia, where independent media are being closed as the government tightens its grip on news and information sources,” WACC said in a statement.

President Vladimir Putin has wineesed growing protests against his invasion of Ukraine and the flattening of civlian targets in cities, and does not want Russians at home to know about it.

On March 4, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law threatening jail time for journalists who challenge the Kremlin’s Ukraine narrative, CBC News reported as the heavy artillery moved into the information spehere.

Russia claims that a Ukrainian nuclear facility is now under Kremlin protection after a fire caused global anxiety, but few western nations believe Russia’s version of events.

“WACC adds its voice to that of PEN International calling for an end to the attacks on freedom and democracy in Ukraine, the loss of life, and an end to the disinformation and propaganda fuelling the conflict,” it said in a statement on its website.

The war on Ukraine is a tragedy said the Chrisitan communications group.

“It is matched by a war on trust as disinformation and lies are used to silence ordinary Russians.”

Despite the horrific situation, WACC said it urges independent media outlets in Russia and Ukraine to do whatever they can to keep people fully informed and urges organizations and individuals outside Russia to share the news and information coming from independent media.

“Communication rights are severely threatened in Russia, where independent media are being closed as the government tightens its grip on news and information sources,” said WACC.

Novaya Gazeta, known for its reporters’ investigative work and whose editor-in-chief Dimitry Muratov received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2021, has closed.

The online television station Dozhd (TV-Rain), and the radio station Ekho Moskvy, which reaches millions of people in many regions of Russia, have been forced to stop broadcasting.

BANNED SITES

Fortunately, websites of independent media that are banned in Russia, but still active, can be accessed from abroad as well as within the country via virtual private networks (VPNs).

However, TV news, which is firmly in state hands, remains the main source of (dis)information for many Russians, especially older people.

“We are standing on the brink of a global disaster whose consequences can only further damage an already fragile world,” said WACC.

“On behalf of communication rights activists worldwide, WACC adds its voice to that of PEN International calling for an end to the attacks on freedom and democracy in Ukraine, the loss of life, and an end to the disinformation and propaganda fuelling the conflict.”

The World Association for Christian Communication is a non-governmental organization that builds on communication rights in order to promote social justice.

Global Financial Crisis: How Can Crypto Help Ukrainians Survive Through Tough Times

News desk

5 March 2022

How Can Crypto Help Ukrainians Survive Through Tough Times

LJUBLJANA, SLOVENIA, March 4, 2022 – According to the last estimates from CitiBank, the Ukrainian economy will continue to decline, with a significant risk of another default. Ukrainians are already facing difficulties and the financial crisis is just making things harder. According to experts, the best way for Ukrainians to get out of the problems is through the development of a cryptocurrency sector. Citizens all over the world have raised more than $52,000,000 worth of crypto to fund resistance efforts.

The conflict between Ukraine and Russia has already taken a huge toll on the Ukrainian nation. The entire world is flooded with images from shelters packed with women, children, and the elderly, who are taking sanctuary while their cities are being bombed by the Russian troops. Brave men and women are fighting for their freedom, for their country, and for their families, who are waiting for them in those dark underground spaces and other sanctuaries abroad.

The whole world is shocked that, in the 21st century we have all of this happening to one country.

During a war, it’s not just the bombs that are killing people, it is a variety of things that can lead to that state. But let’s focus on the primary food and shelter. The problems are massive, the distribution channels are broken, the stores are closed, and even those who are open have a problem with market fluctuations, as the official state currency during these tough times only decreases in value.

Fear of banking sector breakdown

It’s hard to imagine that in such desperate times one needs to think about money as well. News about rows of people waiting in line for ATMs took over recent headlines. People were even violating curfew to get their money withdrawals.
Ukrainian citizens are afraid that their banks will cease to function. This is why they are scrambling to take out as much cash as possible. But these massive withdrawals could destabilize banks to the point of bankruptcy. Banks in Ukraine are attempting to mitigate this economic havoc by imposing limits on withdrawals. The National Bank of Ukraine imposed a temporary cash withdrawal limit of 100,000 Ukrainian hryvnias per day, which equals approx. €3,000, while Donetsk in eastern Ukraine limited withdrawals from ATMs to 10,000 rubles, €77,50 per day.

However, banks represent only one part of the financial troubles in Ukraine right now. Their national currency hryvnia has decreased in value by more than 6% in February and is currently trading at roughly 29.70 each relative to the US dollar. The currency dropped to its lowest level since 2015, according to Reuters. Ukraine’s central bank halted exchanges for Ukrainians trying to obtain foreign currencies as it is trying to fix the official hryvnia exchange rate. Credit and debit cards were still functional as of last week.

Similar historical events all led down the same path – banks started failing, lending declined, business slowed down, and the unemployment rate started rising. Banks believed that they should accumulate reserves and people preferred to store their cash at home which then led to deflation.

Crypto community help initiatives

The Crypto community was among the first who have reached out to Ukraine. Crypto organizations, like Binance, donated to the cause, and the Ukrainian government itself started raising funds to support its civilians and troops. The country has now started accepting donations in Bitcoin, Ether, and Tether. Another initiative, UkraineDAO, released a nonfungible token (NFT) of the Ukrainian flag to raise funds for Ukrainian civilian organizations working to help those suffering from the war. It is safe to say that the Crypto community has reached out to Ukrainian citizens on an unprecedented scale.
The Ukrainian government has received more than $52 million in cryptocurrency donations, with at least $14 million already deployed, as the country begins to accept a wider range of tokens and digital assets, including earnings from the sale of one of the world’s most valuable non-fungible tokens.

GoCrypto

The GoCrypto team immediately knew how we could contribute to the cause. We reorganized our global crypto payment scheme to enable free access to GoCrypto for all Ukrainian merchants. By joining the GoCrypto network, merchants will be able to accept payments and settlements in over 50 supported cryptocurrencies. If they decide to choose settlements in stable coins, like Tether (USDT), they will avoid all potential market fluctuation – both in terms of their national currency and crypto. They will be able to continue their business and will not be limited to their bank’s status. Joining the network will also be beneficial for the entire Ukrainian community since Merchants will give their customers the chance to buy their products with crypto, while business owners will be able to continue making an income.

Merchants who are interested to join our initiative will need to follow a short and simple procedure to open their GoCrypto account. When their account is confirmed, they will get access to the Manager dashboard where they will see all their crypto transactions. The next step of onboarding will be the KYB (Know Your Business) procedure where merchants will make a short call with our support team. This step is necessary to follow the Anti-Money Laundering Law. Once this last step is done, Merchants will be able to accept payments and make withdrawals to their preferred crypto wallets. The GoCrypto support team will be by their side through the entire process.

Our services will function with zero setup costs, zero transaction costs, and zero withdrawal costs indefinitely.

The Ukrainian nation is not alone in this war. Even though we cannot support the brave men and women on the streets of Ukraine, we are following their every move and finding new ways to help them out in the short and the long run. Through food, water, sanitary supply, clothes and blankets, and last but not least, finances.

GoCrypto stands with Ukraine!

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Ukraine: Crisis chief calls for ‘humanitarian pause’, urgent UN aid arrives, WHO condemns healthcare attacks

Newsroom

5 March 2022

Ukraine: Crisis chief calls for ‘humanitarian pause’, urgent UN aid arrives, WHO condemns healthcare attacks

Amin Awad, the United Nations Crisis Coordinator for Ukraine, called on Saturday for an “immediate humanitarian pause” in fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces, as UN aid supplies arrive in the country.

Mr Awad, who is in the country with his team, attempting to find ways to scale up humanitarian operations, said in a statement that his immediate aim was to “urgently prioritize geographical areas, and sectors, where there are pressing humanitarian needs to scale up the delivery of lifesaving aid”, in extremely challenging circumstances.

The Crisis Coordinator welcomed the outcome of the second round of talks between Ukraine and Russia on the ceasefire, and called for the “urgent translation of the letters of the agreement into action on the ground”, so that relief can be provided to millions trapped or on the move and also to allow for people to reach safety.

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UNICEF supplies arrive in Western Ukraine
WHO condemns attacks on health workers and facilities

UNICEF supplies arrive in Western Ukraine

As families from #Ukraine arrive in neighboring countries like Romania, ‘Blue Dot’ centers offer support and protection.

“People are exhausted crossing the border, and they’re very happy to have some people greeting them here,” says @unicefchief. pic.twitter.com/zWGENirpn0
— UNICEF USA (@UNICEFUSA) March 5, 2022

Mr. Awad’s calls were echoed by the UN children’s agency (UNICEF), which noted on Saturday that a humanitarian pause would allow families in the worst affected areas of Ukraine to leave bunkers and other shelters to find food and water, seek medical care, or find safety elsewhere.

Despite the uncertainty surrounding the talks between the two sides, and the ongoing fighting, the UN continues to send in humanitarian aid to the country. On Saturday, the first batch of UNICEF supplies arrived in Lviv, western Ukraine. It is part of a six-truck convoy, containing an estimated 62 tonnes of equipment, including medical supplies such as medicine, first aid kits, midwifery kits and surgical equipment, and early childhood and recreational kits. An additional batch of supplies including 17,000 blankets and warm winter clothing for children are also en route via Poland.

“The situation for children and families in Ukraine is increasingly desperate,” said Murat Sahin, UNICEF Representative in Ukraine. “These supplies will help provide much needed support to women, children and health care workers.”

Since the conflict in Ukraine escalated, families have been sheltering underground, cut off from basic services. Hospitals and maternity wards have moved their patient to basements and, across the country, hundreds of thousands of people are without safe drinking water. The country is running low on critical medical supplies and has had to halt urgent efforts to curb a polio outbreak.

WHO condemns attacks on health workers and facilities

The healthcare crisis has been compounded by attacks on hospitals, clinics, and health workers, the UN health agency, WHO, said on Saturday.

Six verified reports of healthcare attacks have been verified by the agency, resulting in six deaths and 11 injuries. The WHO insisted that health workers must be allowed to provide care in a safe & protected environment, without disruption from acts of violence.

The information is published on the WHO’s Surveillance System for Attacks on Health Care data hub, which provides a comprehensive list of attacks, deaths and injuries to health workers, and the countries in which they occur.

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Ukraine Conflict Update 16

The roadblock I kept running into when I was trying to find books for my Black children

Russian military control of Ukraine nuclear plants cause for grave concern, nuclear energy agency warns

Communication severely restricted

Radiation levels normal