Dozens of Russian planes seized; Ukrainian city hit by 'super powerful' bomb
Russia's transport minister said nearly 80 of the country's planes have been seized by foreign countries, amid a series of countries imposing sanctions on Moscow over the Ukraine issue.
The sanctions have cut off Russia's access to most aircraft, spare parts and aviation services, while Russian airlines have had to lease up to 515 aircraft abroad, Interfax news agency quoted Russian Transport Minister Vitaly Savelyev as saying.
Also according to Minister Savelyev, 78Russian aircraftwere seized abroad and will not be returned. Russia had 1,367 aircraft at the time of the sanctions, and nearly 800 of them are now on Russian registers.
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| Aeroflot aircraft of Russian airline at Moscow International Airport. Photo: Reuters |
Most of the planes leased by Russia are from Boeing and Airbus and are registered in Bermuda and Ireland. However, last week, Bermuda and Ireland authorities suspended the issuance of safety certificates to planes operated by Russian airlines.
In order to ensure that civil aviation operations are not disrupted, Moscow later passed a law allowing domestic airlines to register aircraft leased from foreign companies in Russia.
Ukraine's Mariupol city hit by 'super powerful' bomb
Two powerful bombs exploded and shook the southeastern Ukrainian city of Mariupol on March 22, officials said, amid efforts to evacuate civilians.
"It is clear that the enemy has no interest in Mariupol. They want to wipe out and level the city," the Mariupol council said in a statement, without giving details of casualties or damage to infrastructure.
Ukraine also criticized Russian forces for blocking convoys delivering food and essential goods to Mariupol, as well as buses evacuating residents. "We demand the opening of humanitarian corridors for civilians. The Ukrainian army is bravely defending the city, we will not accept ultimatums," Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said on television earlier.
Mariupol, home to about 450,000 people before the war, has been under near-constant Russian attack since early March. Images show extensive damage from bombs and rockets. A US defense official warned on March 22 that Russian troops were inside the city.
Ukrainian official accuses Russia of using weapons containing white phosphorus
In a Facebook post on March 22, Oleksiy Biloshitsky, First Deputy Director of the National Police of Ukraine in the Kiev region, accused the Russian military of firing a white phosphorus warhead into the city of Kramatorsk, in the Luhansk region of eastern Ukraine.
White phosphorus is commonly possessed by many militaries around the world and is legally used in combat, as a smokescreen during the day and as a light source at night. However, its use on civilians is illegal, as the chemical can cause severe or painful burns when it comes into contact with the skin.
Russia has not yet responded to this accusation.
US says Russia's goals in Ukraine have 'failed', Moscow reacts
Speaking at the White House on March 22, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said Russia had not achieved its goals in Ukraine.
According to Mr. Sullivan, Russia has set three goals when launching a special military campaign against its neighbor: to subdue Ukraine, to increase Moscow's power and prestige, and to divide the West. "So far, Russia has clearly not achieved all three of these goals, and in fact, the reality proves the opposite," the US National Security Advisor commented.
However, Mr. Sulivan warned that despite signs of a slowdown from Russia, the conflict in Ukraine would not end "easily or quickly."
Meanwhile, Ukrainian military leaders said Russian forces only have enough fuel, food and ammunition to continue fighting in the country for another three days, after Russian military supply chains were disrupted.
Moscow later dismissed the comments from the US and the West, and stressed that the operation was still going according to plan.
“We are talking about a special military operation that is underway, and it is proceeding absolutely according to plan,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in an interview with CNN.
Russia states when it can use nuclear weapons
Also in an interview with CNN on March 22, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia's security policy stipulates that nuclear weapons will only be used in cases where the country's survival is threatened.
“We have a concept of internal security and it is public, you can read all the reasons for using nuclear weapons. So if there is an existential threat to our country, then it (nuclear arsenal) can be used according to our concept,” Mr. Peskov explained in English.
The United Nations calls for a ceasefire in Ukraine
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on March 22 called for a ceasefire in Ukraine, saying the conflict would "go nowhere".
"It is time to end this conflict (in Ukraine)," Mr. Guterres told reporters at the United Nations headquarters in New York (USA), emphasizing the need to resolve the conflict by peaceful means.
On the same day, French President Emmanuel Macron discussed peace talks between Russia and Ukraine and called for a ceasefire in a phone call that lasted about an hour with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Mr. Macron also expressed concern about the situation in Mariupol and called for the lifting of the siege of the strategic port city in southern Ukraine.
President Macron's office said this was the eighth phone call between the two leaders since Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine on February 24.