Russia has confirmed its use of a thermobaric weapon system, or "vacuum" bombs, during Putin's invasion of Ukraine, the UK Ministry of Defense said Wednesday.
Vacuum bombs disperse explosive material over a large area that uses surrounding oxygen as fuel when it detonates, creating a blast wave that lasts far longer than conventional explosives. Thermobaric bombs are capable of sucking the air out of person's lungs, causing them to fill with liquid, or causing a person's lungs to rupture or explode.
"The impact of the [TOS-1A] is devastating," the UK Ministry of Defense said in a video. "It can destroy infrastructure and cause significant damage to internal organs and flash burns, resulting in death to those exposed."
Sending Polish jets to Ukraine 'risks broadening the conflict': Jennifer Griffin
Russian forces bomb Ukraine civilian structures
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine puts Taiwan on high alert over mainland China threat
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has sent jitters across Taiwan, as military strategists and lawmakers prepare for the possibility – however far-reaching – of a similar invasion from mainland China.
Last month, as Russian tanks rolled into Ukraine, nine Chinese aircraft entered Taiwan’s air defense zone, prompting a broadcast warning from the island nation.
Military strategists in Taiwan are closely studying Ukrainians as they've mounted a fierce resistance against a more formidable opponent despite being outgunned and outmanned.
200 employees held hostage by Russians at Chernobyl
Russia faces war crime accusations in Ukraine as casualties grow
China accuses US of ‘biological military activities’ in Ukraine
China is backing Russia’s claims about U.S.-controlled "biolabs" in Ukraine conducting "biological military activities" – accusations the White House and Ukraine have both denied.
The allegations come two weeks into Vladimir Putin's invasion of his smaller neighbor.
"According to data released by the US, it has 26 bio-labs and other related facilities in Ukraine, over which the US Department of Defense has absolute control," Zhao Lijian, a spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry, said during a news conference Tuesday. "All dangerous pathogens in Ukraine must be stored in these labs and all research activities are led by the US side. Without US approval, no information shall be released to the public."
We are watching a war in real-time: Hemmer
Putin causing 'humanitarian disasters' to minimize resistance: Benjamin Hall
Russia-Ukraine war: Latest confirmed civilian deaths
The United Nations has confirmed 1,424 civilian casualties in the Russia-Ukraine war — a figure that does not include those injured or killed Wednesday in the shelling of a maternity hospital in the strategic port city of Mariupol.
The new numbers released Wednesday cover Feb. 24 beginning at 4 a.m. to March 8 ending at midnight, but it is estimated that the true civilian toll is much greater, according to the U.N.’s human rights office.
The report says that 516 people have been killed -- including 37 children –- and 908 injured, as the war now stretches into its second week.
NATO must resist Putin rather than be 'cowed': Retired Air Force general
Ukraine asking West to ‘pay the fair price to defend the West’
White House warns Russia could use chemical or biological weapons in Ukraine
The White House on Wednesday warned that Russia could use "chemical or biological weapons in Ukraine" or could create a "false flag operation" using them, after the Kremlin accused the U.S. of being involved in biological weapons research at Ukrainian labs.
The director of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ information and press department, Maria Vladimirovna Zakharova, said that in the course of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Russia confirmed that Ukrainian leadership was quickly trying to clean up any trace of "military and biological programs" that Ukraine was conducting with financial backing from the United States.
This echoed previous accusations that the Kremlin has made about Ukraine allegedly destroying samples of various pathogens. A spokesperson for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy denied the allegations, according to Reuters, and a senior U.S. defense official called the claims "laughable" and said they are part of a Russian disinformation campaign.
Frigid temperatures pose a dangerous new challenge to Ukrainians
Pelosi holds call with Zelenskyy
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said Wednesday she had the “great honor” of speaking to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the phone for 45 minutes.
She said the two discussed Vladimir Putin’s crimes against humanity, as she referenced a maternity ward bombing.
They discussed his need for more planes and anti-missile weaponry. The call came as the House is trying to pass a spending bill that will include $13.6 billion in Ukraine aid ---- even more than the $10 billion that the White House requested.
Zelenskyy also posted to social media about the call, thanking Pelosi for help "countering aggression" from Russia.
Pentagon opposes transfer of MiG 29 planes from Poland to Ukraine, calls move ‘high-risk’
Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said Wednesday that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with his Polish counterpart, Mariusz Blaszczak, and informed him that the United States will not support Poland’s proposal to deliver MiG-29s to the Ukrainian military.
“The secretary also had a chance to discuss with Minister Blaszczak the proposal to send MiG-29 fighter aircraft to Ukraine and, specifically, the notion of doing so by a way of transfer to U.S. custody,” Kirby said. “Secretary Austin thanked the minister for Poland’s willingness to continue to look for ways to assist Ukraine, but he stressed that we do not support the transfer of additional fighter aircraft to the Ukrainian air force at this time and therefore have no desire to see them in our custody either.”
"We believe the provision of additional fighter aircraft provides little increased capabilities at high risk," Kirby continued.
“We assess that adding aircraft to the Ukrainian inventory is not likely to significantly change the effectiveness of Ukrainian Air Force relative to Russian capabilities,” Kirby said. “Therefore, we believe that the gain from transferring those MIG 29s is low.”
Kirbv also said during the briefing that America must “be careful about every decision we make” to ensure “that we aren’t making the potential for escalation worse.”
Russia-Ukraine war is taking ‘very brutal turn’: Gen. Breedlove
Pentagon says it opposes MiG transfer from Poland to Ukraine due to moves 'high risk'
The Pentagon said Wednesday that it opposes a potential transfer of MiG fighter jets from Poland to Ukraine because such a transfer would be "high risk."
“We assess that adding aircraft to the Ukrainian inventory is not likely to significantly change the effectiveness of Ukrainian Air Force relative to Russian capabilities," Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said Wednesday, while noting that such a move could also be mistaken as escalatory" by the Russian government.
Gen. Petraeus: Russian forces facing many tactical challenges
UNICEF Executive Director issues statement on reported attack against maternity hospital
“I am horrified by the reported attack today on a maternity hospital in Mariupol, Ukraine – an attack which reportedly left young children and women in labor buried beneath the rubble of destroyed buildings. We do not yet know the number of casualties but fear the worst," UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell said in a statement Wednesday.
“This attack, if confirmed, underscores the horrific toll this war is exacting on Ukraine’s children and families. In less than two weeks, at least 37 children have been killed and 50 injured, while more than 1 million children have fled Ukraine to neighbouring countries.
“Attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure – including hospitals, water and sanitation systems and schools – are unconscionable and must stop immediately. UNICEF renews its call for an immediate cease-fire and urges all parties to respect their obligations under international humanitarian law to protect children from harm, and to ensure that humanitarian actors can safely and quickly reach children in need.”
Russian MoD confirms use of 'vacuum bomb' in Ukraine
Ukrainian mother: ‘Our lives are in danger’
Ukraine running low on medical supplies amid Russia invasion
White House blames Russia for record-high gas prices, coining '#PutinPriceHike'
The White House is blaming Russian President Vladimir Putin for record-high gas prices in the United States, coining the surge as the #PutinPriceHike and vowing that President Biden will do everything he can to shield Americans "from pain at the pump."
Americans are experiencing the highest gas prices since the 2008 financial crisis, with the national gas price average reaching more than $4 per gallon – the highest average to date, according to AAA.
White House communications director Kate Bedingfield on Wednesday tweeted that, for months, Putin "has been saber-rattling, and for months, gas prices have been going up — up 75 cents since he began his military build-up" along the Ukrainian border.
Russia's claim on US and Ukraine biolabs 'absurd,' 'untrue': US defense official
The Kremlin is accusing the U.S. of being involved in biological weapons research at Ukrainian labs, but such claims are "laughable" and part of a Russian disinformation campaign, according to a senior U.S. defense official.
Maria Vladimirovna Zakharova, director of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ information and press department, said that in the course of their invasion of Ukraine, Russia confirmed that Ukrainian leadership was trying to quickly clean up any trace of "military and biological programs" that Ukraine was conducting with financial backing from the U.S.
Ukraine's Chernobyl nuclear power plant loses power, sparking fear of radiation leaks
The Chernobyl plant in Ukraine is disconnected from the grid due to damage inflicted by Russian occupying forces, sparking concerns of radioactive contamination if the cooling of spent nuclear fuel stops.
The 750 kV Chernobyl-Kyiv high-voltage line is currently disconnected "due to damage by the occupiers," Energoatom, or the state-run National Nuclear Energy Generating Company of Ukraine, said Wednesday. The Chernobyl station and all nuclear facilities of the Exclusion Zone are without electricity.
The regulator explained that there are about 20,000 spent fuel assemblies stored at the facility that require constant cooling. Without electricity to cool the pumps, the temperature in the holding pools will increase, prompting the release of radioactive substances into the environment.
WHO: 18 documented attacks on Ukraine health care facilities
The World Health Organization said Wednesday it has documented 18 attacks on health facilities, workers and ambulances since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began in late February.
At a press briefing on Wednesday, WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the U.N. health agency has delivered 81 metric tons of supplies to Ukraine and is now establishing a pipeline to send further equipment.
To date, Tedros said WHO had sent enough surgical supplies to treat 150 trauma patients and other supplies for a range of health conditions to treat 45,000 people.
Dr. Michael Ryan, WHO’s emergencies chief, acknowledged that sending medical supplies to Ukraine was unlikely to make a big difference.
“This is putting bandages on mortal wounds right now,” he said.
WHO chief Tedros said some of the main health challenges officials were facing in Ukraine were hypothermia and frostbite, respiratory disease, heart disease, cancer and mental health issues. He added that WHO staffers have been sent to countries neighbouring Ukraine to provide mental health support to fleeing refugees, mostly women and children.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Psaki addresses soaring gas prices during Ukraine war
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki, when asked Wednesday about rising gas prices during the Ukraine war, said “we need to ensure the supply meets the demand out there in the marketplace.
“Obviously we are engaging with big global oil producers around the world to meet that demand but there are also 9,000 unused oil leases that oil companies could certainly tap into and we encourage them to do that,” she said.
Psaki: It’s ‘pretty clear [Putin] didn’t bet on the opposition from within his own country’
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki, when asked Wednesday about Russians being arrested in their own country for protesting President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, said “it’s pretty clear he didn’t bet on the opposition from within his own country.”
“We have seen people across Russia bravely, courageously protest, speak out against a war that they believe is unjust, is unwarranted and that is incredibly powerful,” she said.
Photo shows injured pregnant woman following Mariupol maternity hospital shelling
A photo has emerged Wednesday of an injured pregnant woman following Russian military shelling on a maternity hospital in Mariupol, Ukraine.
The attack has left at least 17 injured, the AFP reports, citing a local Ukrainian official.
Russia-Ukraine war photos: Mariupol hospital bombed as over 2.1 million refugees flee
An estimated 2,155,271 refugees have fled Ukraine amid Russia’s ongoing invasion of the country, with the majority escaping to Poland, according to statistics posted Wednesday by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), as those in Mariupol reel from the aftermath of a bombing at a maternity hospital.
Of that, 1,294,903 refugees were estimated to have fled to Poland, the UNHCR found. Nationwide, thousands are thought to have been killed, both civilians and soldiers, in the two weeks of fighting since Russian President Vladimir Putin’s forces invaded.
Meanwhile, a Russian attack severely damaged a maternity hospital in the besieged port city of Mariupol, Ukraine said Wednesday. Citizens trying to escape shelling on the outskirts of Kyiv streamed toward the capital amid warnings from the West that Moscow’s invasion is about to take a more brutal and indiscriminate turn.
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Fired Russian F1 driver added to EU sanctions list
Former Haas F1 driver Nikita Mazepin and his father, Dmitry Mazepin, have been added to the list of individuals sanctioned by the European Union, which includes travel restrictions and asset freezes, according to the Financial Times.
Dmitry Mazepin controls Russian fertilizer giant Uralchem, which had its sponsorship of the Haas F1 team terminated along with his son's driver contract last week.
"He is a natural person associated with a leading businessperson (his father) involved in economic sectors providing a substantial source of revenue to the Government of the Russian Federation, which is responsible for the annexation of Crimea and the destabilisation [sp] of Ukraine," the Official Journal of the EU says regarding Nikita Mazepin.
Click here to read more on Fox News.
Cincinnati mayor opens arms to Ukrainians: We stand 'open and ready to take any refugee'
Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval joins 'America's Newsroom' to vow his city will aid its 'sister city' Kharkiv.
EU to send communications equipment as Ukraine networks under attack
The European Union said Wednesday that it is working on sending communications equipment to Ukraine after the country asked Brussels for help to keep telecom networks running.
The EU “received a request from our Ukrainian friends and we’re in the process of coordinating on that,” French digital minister Cedric O said, according to the Associated Press.
The minister said EU officials discussed aid in the form of electronic and computer equipment that they could offer Ukraine to ensure the country’s telecom and administrative networks “continue as normally possible.”
As the Russian offensive grinds on, Ukraine’s ability to maintain telecommunications in some areas is in question as cellphone networks went down in the besieged port city of Mariupol.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
US official says Russia has lost around 700 military vehicles
A senior U.S. defense official said Thursday that Russia has launched more than 710 missiles so far during its invasion of Ukraine -- half originating from inside Russia and the other half from inside Ukraine.
The official said around 90% of Russian President Vladimir Putin's invading combat power remains available for use, although Russia has lost around 700 military vehicles in the last two weeks and Ukraine's airspace remains contested.
Russia also has failed to make significant progress Wednesday toward the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, the official continued, but is closing in on Ukraine's second largest city, Kharkiv, where heavy fighting is ongoing.
Meanwhile, the U.S. is working to help Ukraine secure additional air defense capabilities, the official said.
Fox News' Jennifer Griffin contributed to this report.
US positions missile defense systems in Poland
Russian troops were told this before invading Ukraine, official says
A senior U.S. defense official said Wednesday that the U.S. has evidence that some of Russia's invading forces in Ukraine were told they were going on a training exercise.
Under partial Russian occupation, Georgia stands with West, calls for more sanctions on Putin
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Republic of Georgia's acting ambassador to the U.S., whose home is partially occupied by Russian forces, criticized Vladimir Putin's intimidation tactics in the region and called for more sanctions against the authoritarian regime.
"The lessons that the world has learned based on the Georgian tragic experience [is] that once you have a bully inside the room, there is no other way of dealing with this bully than giving [him] an adequate response," Giorgi Tsikolia said of the Russian president.
"This is what we've been pushing hard as a message here as well, pushing for additional sanctions against Russia," Tsikolia told Fox News.
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Mariupol 'besieged' by Russian invaders who bombed children's hospital
Russian forces bombed a maternity and children’s hospital on Wednesday in the key Ukrainian port city of Mariupol, where more than 400,000 people are stranded after an evacuation attempt was thwarted.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shared video of what he described as the "direct strike of Russian troops" on the maternity hospital in Mariupol. He again demanded the skies be closed over Ukraine.
"People, children are under the wreckage. Atrocity!" Zelenskyy tweeted. "How much longer will the world be an accomplice ignoring terror? Close the sky right now! Stop the killings! You have power but you seem to be losing humanity."
Russian forces were "holding hostage" more than 400,000 people by blocking humanitarian aid and evacuation from Mariupol, Ukrainian Foreign Affairs Minister Dmytro Kuleba tweeted earlier Wednesday. He claimed that nearly 3,000 newborn babies were in dire need of food and medicine. "I urge the world to act!" he tweeted. "Force Russia to stop its barbaric war on civilians and babies!"
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Russian Defense Ministry admits use of conscripts in invasion, despite Putin's denials
Russia’s defense ministry admitted Wednesday to its use of conscripts in the ongoing invasion of Ukraine, despite President Vladimir Putin’s repeated insistence that Kremlin military forces only considered of professional fighters, according to a Reuters report.
The defense ministry’s staggering admission comes after Putin has previously – and repeatedly – denied Russia’s use of conscripts in the war, and one day after Putin addressed the concerned loved ones of soldiers directly.
"I’d like to address the mothers, wives, sisters, brides and girlfriends of our soldiers and officers who are in battle now," Putin said Tuesday in a televised address, according to a translation shared by The Telegraph.
"I know how worried you are for your loved ones," he went on. "You can be proud of them just as the whole country is proud and feels for them."
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Russia's Ministry of Defense posts unconfirmed video of Soviet flag flying in Ukraine
In a video posted online by the Russian Ministry of Defense Wednesday, a Soviet flag is seen mounted to a tank purportedly making its way through Ukraine.
Ukrainian Paralympian pulls out of event after father captured by Russian forces: report
A Ukrainian biathlete pulled out of the Paralympics after her father was reportedly captured by Russian military forces who invaded the country.
Anastasiia Laletina was set to participate in the Games when she stepped aside, a Ukrainian Paralympic Committee spokesperson told Reuters. Laletina’s father is a solider in the Ukrainian military, but details about his reported capture were scant.
Laletina, 19, was set to compete in the middle-distance sitting event at the Paralympics. According to Reuters, she was still in Zhangjiakou, China, and is set to fly back to Poland when the Games are finished.
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American energy companies targeted by hackers prior to Ukraine invasion, source says
Fox News has learned Wednesday from a source familiar with the intelligence that 21 American companies involved with liquefied natural gas production, including Chevron Corporation and Cheniere Energy, were targeted and attacked by hackers two weeks prior to the start of the Ukraine invasion.
The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency is working to confirm the attacks emanated from Russia but the source tells Fox News it is believed this marked the first stage in Russia’s effort to destabilize the U.S. energy industry.
Fox News' Gillian Turner contributed to this report.
Ukrainian delivers food, medicine in Kyiv, says city is 'not afraid,' 'ready to fight'
When missiles first hit Ukraine, like many Kyiv residents, Oleksandr Prokhorenko's first reaction was to run and hide.
But something stopped him.
"I thought to myself: ‘Who am I if I’m going to leave these people?'" Prokhorenko told Fox News while walking through the center of Kyiv.
"You can not imagine how many people are in need," Prokhorenko said.
That's why he decided to stay in the country's capital, where he was born and raised. Prokhorenko, who owns several Kyiv restaurants, has spent the last several days delivering food and medicine to sheltering Ukrainians, including cancer patients and the elderly.
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China sending nearly $1 million in Ukraine aid despite still opposing Russia sanctions
China announced Wednesday that it is sending around $800,000 in humanitarian aid to Ukraine -- including food and daily necessities -- despite continuing to oppose sanctions against Russia.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian told reporters an initial batch was sent to the Ukrainian Red Cross on Wednesday with more to follow “as soon as possible.”
China has largely backed Russia in the conflict and Zhao reiterated Beijing’s opposition to economic sanctions against Moscow.
Zhao told reporters at a daily briefing that “wielding the stick of sanctions at every turn will never bring peace and security but cause serious difficulties to the economies and livelihoods of the countries concerned.”
He said China and Russia will “continue to carry out normal trade cooperation, including oil and gas trade, in the spirit of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Ukrainian official claims Russia is holding 400,000 people in Mariupol 'hostage'
Ukraine Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba claimed Wednesday that the Russian military is blocking humanitarian aid and evacuation routes for around 400,000 people in the eastern city of Mariupol, effectively holding them "hostage".
"Indiscriminate shelling continues. Almost 3.000 newborn babies lack medicine and food," he wrote in a tweet. "I urge the world to act! Force Russia to stop its barbaric war on civilians and babies!"
Chernobyl cut off the grid by Russians, sparking fears of radioactive contamination
The Chernobyl plant in Ukraine remained disconnected from the grid due to damage inflicted by Russian occupying forces, sparking concerns of radioactive contamination from cooling spent nuclear fuel.
The 750 kV Chernobyl-Kyiv high-voltage line is currently disconnected "due to damage by the occupiers," Energoatom, or the state-run National Nuclear Energy Generating Company of Ukraine, said Wednesday. The Chernobyl station and all nuclear facilities of the Exclusion Zone are without electricity.
The regulator explained that there are about 20,000 spent fuel assemblies stored at the facility that require constant cooling. Without electricity to cool the pumps, the temperature in the holding pools will increase, prompting the release of radioactive substances into the environment.
"The only electrical grid supplying the Chornobyl NPP and all its nuclear facilities occupied by Russian army is damaged," Ukrainian Foreign Affairs Minister Dmytro Kuleba tweeted Wednesday. "CNPP lost all electric supply. I call on the international community to urgently demand Russia to cease fire and allow repair units to restore power supply."
Click here to read more on Fox News.
Zelenskyy's wife names children who have died in war: 'Mass murder of Ukrainian civilians'
Olena Zelenska, the First Lady of Ukraine, has posted an open letter naming the "child casualties" of the Russian invasion.
"Despite assurances from Kremlin-backed propaganda outlets, who call this a 'special operation'- it is, in fact, the mass murder of Ukrainian civilians," she wrote.
"Perhaps the most terrifying and devastating of this invasion are the child casualties. Eight-year-old Alice who died on the streets of Okhtyrka while her grandfather tried to protect her," Zelenska continued. "Or Polina from Kyiv, who died in the shelling with her parents. 14-year-old Arseniy was hit in the head by wreckage, and could not be saved because an ambulance could not get to him on time because of intense fires."
"When Russia says that it is 'not waging war against civilians,' I call out the names of these murdered children first," Zelenska said.
"Our women and children now live in bomb shelters and basements," she also said, adding that the "first newborn of the war, saw the concrete ceiling of the basement, their first breath was the acrid air of the underground, and they were greeted by a community trapped and terrorized."
"At this point," Zelenska says, "there are several dozen children who have never known peace in their lives."
UK says multiple Ukrainian cities 'continue to suffer heavy Russian shelling'
The United Kingdom's Ministry of Defense said Wednesday that "fighting north-west of Kyiv remains ongoing with Russian forces failing to make any significant breakthroughs.
"The cities of Kharkiv, Chernihiv, Sumy and Mariupol remain encircled by Russian forces and continue to suffer heavy Russian shelling," it added.
Zelenskyy urges US, Poland to strike a deal and 'send us planes'
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in an Instagram post Wednesday, is urging the U.S. and Poland to work out a deal and "send us planes" to defend his country's airspace from Russia's military.
Poland offered Tuesday to give its entire fleet of MiG-29 fighter jets to the U.S. in exchange for a chance to buy American F-16s as part of a deal to bolster the Ukrainian air force while upgrading the Poles’ with NATO aircraft.
But Pentagon press secretary John Kirby distanced the U.S. from the proposal later in the day, saying that while the decision to hand over jets to Ukraine is in the hands of the Polish government, American involvement "raises serious concerns for the entire NATO alliance."
"So when will the decision be made? Listen: we have a war! We do not have time for all these signals," Zelenskyy said Wednesday. "This is not ping pong! This is about human lives! We ask once again: solve it faster. Do not shift the responsibility, send us planes."
Fox News' Michael Ruiz and James Levinson contributed to this report.
Mariupol residents, desperate for water, turn to melting snow
Ukrainians in the besieged city of Mariupol reportedly are turning to melting snow and streams for their water sources as their supplies have been cut.
“There is no heating, electricity, water, natural gas... In other words there is nothing, no household commodities. The water is collected from the roofs after the rain," Aleksey Berntsev, head of Red Cross of Mariupol, told the Associated Press.
Mariupol, a port city in eastern Ukraine, is one area of the country that continues to "suffer heavy Russian shelling " Wednesday, according to a statement from the British Ministry of Defense.
Here is what VP Harris will say in Poland, Romania
Vice President Kamala Harris is set to travel to Eastern Europe Wednesday, carrying a message that the U.S. stands "firmly and resolutely" with NATO allies and will continue providing assistance to the Ukrainian people, senior administration officials said, warning that Russian President Vladimir Putin has "made a mistake" that will result in a "resounding strategic defeat" for Russia.
The vice president is expected to travel to Poland and Romania, as Russia’s war with Ukraine rages on for a fourteenth day. Officials, in previewing her trip, said it will "demonstrate the strength and unity of the NATO alliance and U.S. support for NATO’s eastern flank allies in the face of Russian aggression."
Harris is expected to make stops in Warsaw, Poland, on Thursday, where she is set to hold bilateral meetings with Polish President Andrzej Duda and Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki.
Harris is also set to meet with Canadian President Justin Trudeau, who will be in Poland at the same time.
Click here to read more on Fox News.
Half of 2 million Ukrainian refugees are children
Two million Ukrainians have fled the country as the Russian military invades, often targeting civilians, and one million of them are children.
It's the fastest growing refugee crisis in Europe since World War II, according to the United Nations refugee agency.
Annamaria Maslovska, 10, of Kharkiv, fled to Hungary with her mom, leaving behind her home, her toys and her friends.
“I really miss them because I can’t contact them, they just read my messages and that’s all," she said of her friends. "I really worry, because I don’t know where they are."
She told the Associated Press she wants to be an actress in the United States and is proud she can speak English fluently. She said she'd also like to see Disneyland Paris but if the war stops, she said she wants to go home.
“I really want to go home because there are my friends, there are beautiful parks, supermarkets, centers, and playgrounds behind my house,” she said. “Kharkiv, it’s like a piece of your heart.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Ukraine bans export of essentials
Ukraine has banned exporting basics like oats, buckwheat, sugar, salt, wheat, cattle and meat as the country struggles to keep essentials supplied in cities besieged by the Russian invasion, the government said late Tuesday in a statement.
"In order to prevent the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, market stability and meet the needs of the population in critical food products, the Government has established new rules for the export of agricultural goods," Ukraine's Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food Roman Leshchenko said.
Russia warns US, allies that reaction to sanctions will be 'swift, thoughtful and sensitive'
Russia's Foreign Ministry Department for Economic Cooperation director said on Wednesday that Moscow's reaction to crushing sanctions from the U.S. and its allies will be "swift, thoughtful and sensitive," according to a report.
The warning came a day after President Biden said he was imposing a ban on imports of Russian oil. The country said earlier this week a ban by the U.S. and European Union could make a barrel of oil spike to more than $300, Reuters reported.
New Zealand imposes sanctions that would keep country from being Russian oligarch safe haven
A sanctions bill unanimously passed in New Zealand's parliament on Wednesday to punish Russians involved in the Ukraine invasion.
The new law was pushed through in one day and will allow the country to freeze assets and stop superyachts or planes from arriving. Lawmakers said it would stop New Zealand becoming a safe haven for Russian oligarchs looking to avoid sanctions elsewhere.
Previously, New Zealand law made in impossible to put significant sanctions on Russia unless it was part of a larger United Nations effort.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Ukraine will open up 6 evacuation corridors Wednesday to try to get civilians out if ceasefire holds
Ukraine will try to get civilians out of danger through six evacuation corridors Wednesday, the country's Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said in a video, according to a report.
She said the Ukrainian military had agreed to a ceasefire between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. and urged the Russians to keep their commitment as well.
Ukraine accused the Russians of violating a ceasefire on Tuesday as civilians attempted to flee the port city of Mariupol.
"Ceasefire violated! Russian forces are now shelling the humanitarian corridor from Zaporizhzhia to Mariupol," Oleg Nikolenko, Ukraine's Foreign Ministry spokesperson tweeted.
Residents of Mariupol are increasingly desperate to get out. The besieged city has been without water, heat, sanitary systems and phone service for several days and bodies reportedly reamin in the streets.
Vereshchuk said the humanitarian corridors would include routes between the cities of Mariupol, Zaporizhzhia, Enerhodar, Sumy, Poltava, Izyum, Lozova, Volnovakha, Pokrovsk, Vorzel, Borodyanka, Bucha, Irpin and Hostomel and Kyiv, according to Reuters.
On Tuesday, some 5,000 people were able to get out of Sumy through an evacuation corridor.
Oil prices give up overnight gains after US bans imports of Russian crude
Oil prices turned lower Wednesday morning, following President Biden's ban on imports of Russian crude.
U.S. crude rose more than 2% during overnight hours before giving back gains.
U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were down $1.73 at $121.80 a barrel, after surging 3.6% on Tuesday.
Brent futures were fell $1.54 at $126.46 a barrel, after jumping 3.9% the previous day.
Americans will feel pain, too — at the gas pump - Biden acknowledged, declaring, "Defending freedom is going to cost."
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Zelenskyy says he spoke to Canada's Trudeau about defense cooperation
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Wednesday morning he had spoken with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau abut defense cooperation between the two countries and "how to increase sanctions pressure on Russia. Agreed on further diplomatic steps. Canada stands with Ukraine. We feel it every day," he tweeted.
UK transport minister says plane detained under new sanctions banning Russian-chartered flights
U.K. transport minister Grant Shapps said Wednesday that a new law has fixed loopholes allowing Russians chartering a flight to Great Britain despite a ban on Russian-owned planes in U.K. airspace.
He told the BBC that the government had detained a plane in the country that was allegedly chartered by a Russian oligarch.
"There is one such aircraft on the ground at the moment at Farnborough that I've essentially impounded whilst we carry out further investigations for the last few days - and it's very important that we have the laws available to enable that to happen," he said.
The plane was registered in Luxembourg, according to BBC.
He said he signed the new law attempting to fix the loopholes on Tuesday night.
Foreign volunteers get Ukrainian citizenship in fight against Russia, Ukraine says
Foreign volunteers who join Ukrainian forces in the fight against Russia will be granted citizenship by the Ukrainian government if they want, a Ukrainian government official said.
Supporters who travel to Ukraine and enlist into the volunteer force will receive a military card from the state’s Border Guard service and, in the future, the volunteers will be among a group of foreign nationals who are qualified to seek citizenship, First Deputy Interior Minister Yevhen Yenin said, Ukrinform reported.
Last month, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced he was forming an "international brigade" of volunteers to join him in the fight against Russia.
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Former Naval intel officer believes Ukraine will win
'Russia is not going to prevail in terms of conquering Ukraine,' John Jordan says on 'Fox News Live.'
Dual Russian-U.S. citizen charged with acting as Kremlin spy: DOJ
She was born in the Soviet Union and emigrated to the U.S. at 30. Nine years later, in 1999, she became an American citizen.
Then more than a decade later, the Department of Justice alleges, she became a spy on behalf of Vladimir Putin and Russia.
Elena Branson, 61, is accused of flouting the Foreign Agent Registration Act, or FARA, and failing to properly inform the U.S. government she was working on behalf of the Kremlin.
"Elena Branson… actively subverted foreign agent registration laws in the United States in order to promote Russian policies and ideology," according to Damian Williams, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. "Branson is alleged to have corresponded with Putin himself and met with a high-ranking Russia minister before founding a Russian propaganda center here in New York City, the Russian Center New York."
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US lawmakers reach bipartisan deal for $13.6 in Ukraine funding as part of spending bill
U.S. Congressional leaders reached a deal early Wednesday for $13.6 billion in funding to Ukraine and other Eastern European allies as part of a $1.5 trillion bipartisan spending bill.
President Biden had asked for at least $10 billion in military and humanitarian funding.
Party leaders hoped to whip the 2,741-page measure through the House on Wednesday and the Senate by the end of the week.
“War in Europe has focused the energies of Congress to getting something done and getting it done fast,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Ukraine air defense likely preventing Russia from achieving 'control of the air: UK Defense Ministry
Ukraine's "air defences appear to have enjoyed considerable success against Russia's modern combat aircraft," the U.K's Ministry of Defense said in a Wednesday morning update, adding that it is likely preventing the Russians from "achieving any degree of control of the air."
The ministry added that fighting northwest of Kyiv is ongoing but Russian troops haven't made any "significant breakthroughs."
Russian troops are still heavily shelling Kharkiv, Chernihiv, Sumy and Mariupol, the report said.
'Ukraine continues to beat the Russian occupiers': General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces
The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces shared photos that it said were of disabled and destroyed Russian military vehicles in the Chernihiv region in northern Ukraine.
"Territorial defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine continues to beat the Russian occupiers," a translation of the tweet said.
US, UK move to ban Russian oil imports
President Biden announced a U.S. ban on Russian oil imports Tuesday, as another way of sanctioning the country over President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine. He noted that already high gas prices would likely rise more but it would "deal another powerful blow to Putin’s war machine.”
He said he would do "everything I can to minimize Putin’s price hike here at home.”
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that the U.K. would phase out Russian oil imports by the end of the year.
“In another economic blow to the Putin regime following their illegal invasion of Ukraine, the UK will move away from dependence on Russian oil throughout this year, building on our severe package of international economic sanctions,” Johnson said Tuesday.
Poland throttles up support for Ukraine with offer to hand over fighter jets; Pentagon pumps brakes
Poland offered to give its entire fleet of MiG-29 fighter jets to the U.S. in exchange for a chance to buy American F-16s as part of a deal to bolster the Ukrainian air force while upgrading the Poles’ with NATO aircraft.
"The authorities of the Republic of Poland, after consultations between the President and the Government, are ready to deploy – immediately and free of charge – all their MIG-29 jets to the Ramstein Air Base and place them at the disposal of the Government of the United States of America," the Polish Foreign Ministry said in a statement Tuesday.
"At the same time, Poland requests the United States to provide us with used aircraft with corresponding operational capabilities. Poland is ready to immediately establish the conditions of purchase of the planes.
"The Poles also requested any other NATO member countries that have MiGs of their own take similar action. Those may include Bulgaria and Slovakia.
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Zelenskyy thanks Biden for ban on Russian oil
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy he was thankful Tuesday after President Biden announced a U.S. ban on Russian oil, natural gas and coal.Zelenskyy said the ban was "striking in the heart of Putin’s war machine ... Encourage other countries and leaders to follow."
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